Monkey Gamblers Help Scientists in Problem Gambling Study

Scientists commonly use monkeys in studies. And a recent study employed monkey gamblers in an attempt to better understand problem gambling.

Researchers inactivated a small region in the monkeys’ prefrontal cortex to see how it changed risky decision making. The findings show that the rhesus monkeys became less likely to choose long shots and instead take the sure thing afterward.

Veit Stuphorn, an associate professor at John Hopkins University, led this study. He believes that his findings can help prove that “human brains are capable of constantly adjusting our willingness to take risks” based on what’s at stake.

Study Shows that Problem Gambling Isn’t Just a Personality Trait

The study involving monkey gamblers shows that people aren’t confined to gambling addiction based on their personality.

“For a long time, people thought that this is like a personality trait, that some people are risk-takers and others are not,” Stuphorn tells National Public Radio.

How did the Study with Monkey Gamblers Work?

The study featured two monkeys who learned how to play a simple computer game. The game would give them drops of juice when they won.

This game features two options: a small guaranteed juice reward, or a riskier gambler that paid out more juice.

The monkeys moved their eyes to indicate which option they wanted in every round.

“They’re always tempted to go for it,” says Stuphorn. “They’re going for the big win every single time,” even when safe bets would have won more overall juice.

Stuphorn’s team figured out that the primates’ preference for risky gamblers was due to the aforementioned brain area. This small prefrontal cortex area got really active when the monkeys won big.

Once the area was inactivated, the monkeys started taking the guaranteed juice option.

It’s unclear if this practice can be just as effective in humans. But it’s an interesting finding nonetheless.