(Newswire.net — April 12, 2017) — A research study has illuminated the effects that sports betting has on brain activity. Expert players were able to make better decisions due to a combination of logical and emotional thinking, as exhibited by their bilateral brain activity, unlike less skilled levels who rely on, and are controlled by emotions.
The study involved participants of various skills and experience, all of who were equipped with an Electroencephalography (EEG) monitor.
Participants were observed for 120 minutes of online betting, across a variety of sporting events. The session was recorded both via camera and their activity shown on the screen.
These observations were then compared with the data provided by the EEG headsetto identify which reactions were caused by specific stages in the session.
The EEG output showed brainwave state using a specialized program Emotiv software, which is designed to show levels of engagement, frustration and excitement.
Frustration is correlated with anger, confusion and other negative states.
Engagement relates to stimulation, interest and general mentor effort, which results in concentration.
Excitement covers positive psychophysical arousal, measured in heart rate increases, pupil dilation and sweat gland stimulation.
The gathered results show the location and intensity of brain activity in four frequency bands: Delta, Theta, Alpha, and Beta.
Delta waves, going from 0.5 – 4 Hz indicated a deep sleep state and therefore, when suppressed, excitement or agitation.
Theta waves, from 4-8 Hz, describes the deep meditative states, such as daydreaming and automatic performance.
Apha, from 8-15 Hz, which is reflected in relaxed alertness, yet also meditative and relaxing states.
And finally, Beta, from 15- 30 Hz, our daily consciousness level, where we process information and therefore it stands for a state of mental engagement.
The interactive study showed how the brain reacts in each stage of a poker game.
Players that made the best free betsexhibited a low amount of activity from all levels. Evaluating odds requires significant consideration from all player at this stage. The difference is that amateurs enter a meditative state with small peaks of Theta activity in the right frontal cortex, whereas experts show a left-side dominance because they are using logic to determine the likelihood of winning the bet.
Comparing odds causes a sharp spike in Beta activity in the right frontal lobe, also for all players. Therefore, although there is a conscious processing of information, players are still impacted by emotional instincts rather than being led by logic. However, as the skill and experience level increases, the level of activity decreases, which means that experts will feel less emotion and will be able to make logical evaluations.
Being behind in one ongoing match while considering placing an additional bet created the highest levels of brain activity among the three skill levels (Amateur, Beginner and Expert). Obviously, it is a high-stress situation for beginners, as shown in the increased Beta activity in both sides of the frontal lobe, as they are guided both by emotions and logic. Unlike expert players, which had lower levels of activity, suggesting that they relied on experience. Therefore, emotional intelligence is a crucial component in understanding the emotions (and brain activity) of fellow players to ensure that one is making a right call.
When a new match begins, there is little thought as one just needs to assess the impact of the no-score match on subsequent bets.
However, once an there is an advantage in the match, either in favor of, or against the betor, in the early part of the event, the skill levels start to diverge. The brain registers less activity for beginners and amateurs.. Beginners are in a state of automation, likely waiting for developments in the ongoing match. Amateurs had a small peak of Alpha, therefore they are also in a state of relaxed alertness, although they consider the additional bets more carefully than the other skill levels. The professional however, uses a mixture of logic and emotion as they view the event, and their brain activity is considerably higher.
Finally, when the outcome of the wagered match is all but certain, Apha waves are activated. For experts, the activity is intermediate, and equally distributed across the brain, showing a mixture of experience and logic involved in making this move. Unlike beginners, whose right side of the brain’s frontal lobe and high levels of Alpha waves, show that they are led by their emotions. The conclusion is that experienced bettors were still able to make logical decisions at this point, whereas beginners and amateurs were more likely to make emotional decisions based on the euphoria of winning, or the disappointment of losing the current match. The dominance of Alpha waves in experts demonstrates the presence of an increased alertness which is needed to carefully consider additional wagers at this point.
This is by no means the first study which assessed the positive health benefits of recreational gambling. It is widely known that the elderly population showed better self-reported health, lower depression and greater social support, when compared to their non-gambling peers, as shown in a study by Vander et al in 2004.
Therefore, when used with care, online sports betting is a useful tool to engage the brain and train oneself to practice a balance of logic and emotional thinking, as reacting solely to emotional impacts can result in less effective courses of action.