One of the most insidious—and addictive—tactics in both digital media and casino gambling is the use of operant conditioning, a learning process where behaviors are shaped based on the consequences they lead to. While this concept is deeply ingrained in the mechanics of gambling, it also mirrors the strategies used by social media platforms to keep users hooked.

If you’re familiar with gambling psychology, you’ve likely heard of the term variable rewards—a key principle that drives the behavior of gamblers. Let me give you a quick refresher on why it works so well.

In the 1950s, psychologist B.F. Skinner conducted an experiment with pigeons and rats to explore how behaviors could be influenced through rewards. He placed the pigeons in a box (known as the Skinner Box) and used food as a reward for pecking a button. His major finding? When the food reward was given at random intervals, rather than at predictable times, the pigeons couldn’t stop pecking the button. It wasn’t the reward itself that drove the behavior—it was the anticipation of the reward, a psychological trigger far more powerful than simply receiving the reward itself.

This principle is at the core of why variable rewards are such powerful motivators. They exploit the brain’s reward system, releasing dopamine in anticipation of a reward—whether it’s food, sex, money, or information. The brain gets a hit of pleasure when we anticipate that “something good” is coming, which, from an evolutionary perspective, made sense for our survival: we are always seeking resources, mates, and knowledge.

Of course, this isn’t limited to pigeons or rats. Humans are no different. Whether we’re waiting for a text message, a like on social media, or the next spin of a slot machine, we’re wired to respond to this unpredictability with the same eager anticipation. It’s the reason why slot machines have become one of the most addictive forms of gambling—they use Skinner’s principles in real life. If you knew the outcome of every spin, the game would be boring, predictable, and dull. It’s the unpredictable payout that keeps players coming back for more, trying to chase that “big win” that might just be around the corner.

Skinner was, of course, aware of how his research could be exploited. In fact, he once wrote: “If the gambling establishment cannot persuade a patron to turn over money with no return, it may achieve the same effect by returning part of the patron’s money on a variable-ratio schedule.” Essentially, casinos found that they didn’t need to give the player a full payout to keep them hooked. A small, unpredictable win every now and then was enough to ensure the player would continue spending money.

But Skinner wasn’t entirely comfortable with this application of his work. In 1982, he expressed his dismay at the connection between his research and gambling, saying:

“I was no stranger to variable-ratio schedules… They had sustained my interest in literature, art, and music, and they explained my dedication to my laboratory and the desk at which I wrote papers and books. But I resented the gambling enterprises which used them to take money away from people. State lotteries angered me. Legislatures were afraid to raise taxes, but could turn to lotteries because people were said to be free to buy or not to buy tickets.”

By the time Skinner made this statement, the casino industry was fully embracing his research, using it to design slot machines that would become the backbone of their profits. These machines would go on to redefine gambling as we know it, attracting millions of players, many of whom couldn’t resist the call of that next unpredictable payout.

Interestingly, the parallels between casino gambling and digital media are hard to ignore. Social media platforms, like casinos, use similar tactics to keep users coming back. The endless scroll, the random nature of notifications, the surprise of likes and comments—these elements mirror the variable rewards system that drives slot machines. Each notification serves as a mini dopamine hit, just like the unexpected payouts of a slot machine.

As we’ll explore next, these tactics aren’t going away. In fact, they’re being refined with each passing year, whether in the world of gambling or in the ways we engage with digital media.