Article Version of Record

Disadvantageous deck selection in the Iowa Gambling Task: The effect of cognitive load

Author(s) / Creator(s)

Hawthorne, Melissa J.
Pierce, Benton H.

Abstract / Description

Research has shown that cognitive load affects overall Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) performance, but it is unknown whether such load impacts the selection of the individual decks that correspond to gains or losses. Here, participants performed the IGT either in a full attention condition or while engaged in a number monitoring task to divide attention. Results showed that the full attention group was more aware of the magnitude of gains or losses for each draw (i.e., payoff awareness) than was the divided attention group. However, the divided attention group was more sensitive to the frequency of the losses (i.e., frequency awareness), as evidenced by their increased preference for Deck B, which is the large but infrequent loss deck. An analysis across blocks showed that the number monitoring group was consistently more aware of loss frequency, whereas the full attention group shifted between awareness of loss frequency and awareness of payoff amount. Furthermore, the full attention group was better able to weigh loss frequency and payoff amount when making deck selections. These findings support the notion that diminished cognitive resources may result in greater selection of Deck B, otherwise known as the prominent Deck B phenomenon.

Keyword(s)

Iowa Gambling Task attention frequency awareness divided attention decision making

Persistent Identifier

Date of first publication

2015-05-29

Journal title

Europe's Journal of Psychology

Volume

11

Issue

2

Page numbers

335–348

Publisher

PsychOpen GOLD

Publication status

publishedVersion

Review status

peerReviewed

Is version of

Citation

Hawthorne, M. J., & Pierce, B. H. (2015). Disadvantageous deck selection in the Iowa Gambling Task: The effect of cognitive load. Europe's Journal of Psychology, 11(2), 335–348. https://doi.org/10.5964/ejop.v11i2.931
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Hawthorne, Melissa J.
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Pierce, Benton H.
  • PsychArchives acquisition timestamp
    2018-11-21T09:59:23Z
  • Made available on
    2018-11-21T09:59:23Z
  • Date of first publication
    2015-05-29
  • Abstract / Description
    Research has shown that cognitive load affects overall Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) performance, but it is unknown whether such load impacts the selection of the individual decks that correspond to gains or losses. Here, participants performed the IGT either in a full attention condition or while engaged in a number monitoring task to divide attention. Results showed that the full attention group was more aware of the magnitude of gains or losses for each draw (i.e., payoff awareness) than was the divided attention group. However, the divided attention group was more sensitive to the frequency of the losses (i.e., frequency awareness), as evidenced by their increased preference for Deck B, which is the large but infrequent loss deck. An analysis across blocks showed that the number monitoring group was consistently more aware of loss frequency, whereas the full attention group shifted between awareness of loss frequency and awareness of payoff amount. Furthermore, the full attention group was better able to weigh loss frequency and payoff amount when making deck selections. These findings support the notion that diminished cognitive resources may result in greater selection of Deck B, otherwise known as the prominent Deck B phenomenon.
    en_US
  • Publication status
    publishedVersion
  • Review status
    peerReviewed
  • Citation
    Hawthorne, M. J., & Pierce, B. H. (2015). Disadvantageous deck selection in the Iowa Gambling Task: The effect of cognitive load. Europe's Journal of Psychology, 11(2), 335–348. https://doi.org/10.5964/ejop.v11i2.931
  • ISSN
    1841-0413
  • Persistent Identifier
    https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12034/951
  • Persistent Identifier
    https://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.1143
  • Language of content
    eng
  • Publisher
    PsychOpen GOLD
  • Is version of
    https://doi.org/10.5964/ejop.v11i2.931
  • Keyword(s)
    Iowa Gambling Task
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    attention
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    frequency awareness
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    divided attention
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    decision making
    en_US
  • Dewey Decimal Classification number(s)
    150
  • Title
    Disadvantageous deck selection in the Iowa Gambling Task: The effect of cognitive load
    en_US
  • DRO type
    article
  • Issue
    2
  • Journal title
    Europe's Journal of Psychology
  • Page numbers
    335–348
  • Volume
    11
  • Visible tag(s)
    Version of Record