This paper describes an investigation looking at the underlying mathematics of poker machines. The aim of the investigation is for students to get an appreciation of how poker machines are designed to ensure that in the long-term players will inevitably lose when playing. The first part of this paper describes how students can model a simple poker…

This research is aimed to describe a learning trajectory for probability through game-based learning. The research employed design research consisting of three stages: preparing for the experiment, design experiment, and retrospective analysis. A hypothetical learning trajectory (HLT) using Sudoku and Snake-and-ladder games was developed by…

This study aims to analyse the reasoning that children and adults with the same school level use to assess and justify the fairness of games, considering aspects of probability such as randomness, sample space, and comparison of probabilities. Data collection included a Piagetian clinical interview based on games of chance. The results showed that…

This study investigates some of the motivational and behavioral correlates of problem gambling behaviours in a Canadian university sample of emerging adults. This transitional developmental stage presents many new opportunities and challenges that may strain emerging adults' coping capacities, and is typically characterized by heightened tolerance…

In this paper, we make a qualitative analysis of didactic experiments performed with five 6 to 10-year-old children and five primary school teachers, starting from a structured game with probabilistic elements. The fundamental idea is to stimulate probabilistic thinking not only by playing a card game with decision making in uncertain situations,…

Rich learning tasks embedded within a familiar context allow students to work like mathematicians while making sense of the mathematics. This article demonstrates how 11-12 year-old students were able to employ all of the proficiency strands while demonstrating a deep understanding of some of the "big ideas" of probabilistic thinking.

This study investigates the nature and role of common ground in group learning of mathematics by means of the analytical constructs of "focal projects" and "contextualization." The analysis investigates two students (12-13 years old) playing a dice game, where their task is to distribute a set of markers based on the total of…

Despite recent concerns over youthful problem gambling, few gambling studies have looked into Asian adolescent populations. This study of a stratified, random sample of high school students in Hong Kong is designed to estimate the prevalence of gambling pathology among Chinese adolescents and to examine the relationships between social strain,…

Mutual support societies for problem gamblers have existed in Sweden for 20 years. They have helped more people with gambling problems than any other institution inside or outside the Swedish health care system. This paper outlines the background of these societies and describes the meetings of one of them. Data come from interviews with members…

A Swedish mutual support group for young problem gamblers is described and discussed. During the study period, 116 weekly meetings occurred, usually involving six to ten participants; in total, 69 problem gamblers (66 male and three female), aged 17-25, and 23 partners and friends attended the meetings. Half the gamblers had problems with Internet…

An innovative pilot treatment program was developed for problem gamblers living in rural areas of Australia using cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) modified from an established specialist therapy service. The standard 12 weekly group program was delivered on site by adapting it to two 1 week blocks with daily group sessions and 1 week of patient…

Under the normative Expected Value (EV) model, multiple outcomes are additive, but in everyday worth judgement intuitive averaging prevails. Young children also use averaging in EV judgements, leading to a disordinal, crossover violation of utility when children average the part worths of simple gambles involving independent events (Schlottmann,…

The debate about whether making a risky choice is based on a weighting and adding process has a long history and is still unresolved. To address this long-standing controversy, we developed a comparative paradigm. Participants' eye movements in 2 risky choice tasks that required participants to choose between risky options in single-play and…

Considerable research has begun to address youth gambling issues from a bio-psycho-social perspective. The current Canadian national study adds to this body of knowledge by examining the cultural influences impacting parent's attitudes, behaviors and perceptions of youth gambling. A total of 3,279 parents with a child between the ages of 13 and 18…

In 2006, Marcus du Sautoy delivered the Royal Institution Christmas Lectures on the subject of mathematics. From this, a workshop was created using ideas illustrated in the programme. A group of mathematical students from the University of Oxford, known as Marcus' Marvellous Mathemagicians, were trained in this workshop and now travel to schools…