Investigating Flow State and Cardiac Pre-ejection Period During Electronic Gaming Machine Use

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Neuroscience
• Gambling Studies

Background:

• Flow activities, such as gaming, are linked to positive emotions and sustained engagement.
• Modern electronic gaming machines (EGMs) are a concern due to their potential to induce flow and gambling-related harms.
• Existing research on gambling flow primarily uses self-reports, necessitating physiological investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the physiological correlates of flow states during electronic gaming machine (EGM) gambling.
• To examine the relationship between self-reported gambling flow and cardiac pre-ejection period (PEP), a measure of sympathetic nervous system arousal.

Main Methods:

• Three experiments involving male undergraduate participants gambling on EGMs in a laboratory setting.
• Measurement of self-reported flow using the Flow subscale of the Game Experience Questionnaire (GEQ).
• Assessment of cardiac pre-ejection period (PEP) as a physiological indicator of arousal.

Main Results:

• No significant overall changes in PEP were observed during EGM gambling across all participants.
• Self-reported flow states were associated with significant decreases in PEP within the initial five minutes of EGM use.
• Findings were consistent in the first two experiments, but an inverted effect was observed in the third experiment.

Conclusions:

• Flow during EGM gambling is linked to early alterations in sympathetic nervous system activity.
• Further research is required to understand the boundary conditions and moderating factors influencing this relationship.