Slots and Reward Reactivity
A narrow notch, groove, or opening, as in a keyway or the slit for a coin in a vending machine. Also used to describe a position in a group, series, or sequence.
A slot is a place in a schedule or program where an activity can take place. The program may be a conference, a class, or an event.
In digital technology, slots have become a way for developers to add interactive elements into their games. For example, a video slot might include an advanced bonus round that lets players select from different items that reveal credits. This type of slot is often used to draw attention from the crowd and encourage players to make additional wagers in order to win a jackpot.
However, despite the popularity of these types of slots, they may cause players to leave their casino or gaming room prematurely. This is because the slot experience varies from player to player depending on their individual preferences and emotional states. In this article, we propose two measures of reward reactivity that are specifically designed to capture the differences in these experiences. Unlike other psychophysiological measures involving cumbersome electrodes and wires (which likely reduce ecological validity and may inhibit flow), these new measures are completely unobtrusive and can be measured in the context of actual slot play.
In addition, our measures allow us to distinguish between the effects of different types of slots, such as progressive and non-progressive. Finally, we show that these new measures are able to predict how long a player will stay on the slot and identify whether it is a high-reward or low-reward slot.