How much is your attention worth?

As hockey players increase their skills, at some point they start to experience their sticks as parts of their own body. Studies describe this sensation as “cognitive extension”; the players’ brains no longer distinguish their sticks from their arms. The increasing competence they gain with this “new” part of their body is a pleasurable and reinforcing experience.

Large gaming companies have become experts at creating an “experience” for slot machine players that mimics this pleasure/reinforcement cycle—so much so that slots have become their single most profitable source of revenue. Of course the problem is that the very real pleasure the gambler is receiving from the experience is not built on his growing competence with the slot machine, but rather a calculated deception programmed to keep him playing as long as possible.

From my June column at Think Advisor.