IUSB’s Mawhinney studying behavioral lure, societal impact of gamblingBy Steve Heim | |
 Mawhinney | Headlines and newspaper articles trumpeting $360 million jackpots, and interviews with would- be millionaires waiting in line to buy their one-in-a-100 million chance
lottery tickets, are all signs of gambling’s explosive rise in popularity and acceptance in America.
But that may not be a good thing, according to Thomas Mawhinney, associate professor of psychology at IU South Bend. A specialist in human behavior and learning, Mawhinney is involved in a two-year research project to determine how gambling’s growth and increasing acceptance are impacting individuals and society. “But the bigger issue is how the lure of big money distorts our view of reality, changes individual behavior and impacts government decisions,” Mawhinney said. “The answers to these questions are crucial if we are going to accurately assess gambling’s imp act on society.” Mawhinney plans to present preliminary research results at next year’s meeting of the National Association of Behavior Analysts and publish final results in an academic research journal one year later. |
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Publication date: October 13, 2000
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