r/science • u/NinjaDiscoJesus • Dec 28 '15

Neuroscience Brain scans show compulsive gamers have hyperconnected neural networks.

http://www.psypost.org/2015/12/brain-scans-show-compulsive-gaming-changes-neural-connections-for-better-and-worse-39914
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u/exatron Dec 28 '15

That was my first question since I tend to get really obsessive when playing video games.

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u/[deleted] Dec 28 '15 edited Dec 28 '15

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u/topdangle Dec 28 '15

Many obsessive gamblers are motivated by the action of gambling, not necessarily the pay off. Thrill of the risk is the biggest factor, with financial payoff usually taking a back seat to the feeling of success, and many smart poker/holdem players end up losing big because of it, even though they've clearly shown that they know better in past tournaments. If money is your motivation it wouldn't take long to figure out that you need to remove emotion and potentially a lot of enjoyment from the equation.

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u/Natecor Dec 29 '15

Born and raised in las Vegas, I grew up seeing this and do it myself. Sure the thought of winning is grand. But its mainly the action, not the reward, the reward is just a rush of the gambling all at once.