Humanizing machines: Anthropomorphization of slot machines increases gambling.

@article{Riva2015HumanizingMA,
  title={Humanizing machines: Anthropomorphization of slot machines increases gambling.},
  author={Paolo Riva and Simona Sacchi and Marco Brambilla},
  journal={Journal of experimental psychology. Applied},
  year={2015},
  volume={21 4},
  pages={
          313-25
        }
}
Do people gamble more on slot machines if they think that they are playing against humanlike minds rather than mathematical algorithms? Research has shown that people have a strong cognitive tendency to imbue humanlike mental states to nonhuman entities (i.e., anthropomorphism). The present research tested whether anthropomorphizing slot machines would increase gambling. Four studies manipulated slot machine anthropomorphization and found that exposing people to an anthropomorphized description… 
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