为什么游戏会成瘾

TL; DR
游戏本身的variable reward加上家长对孩子游戏的管控，不明确的管控规则，朝令夕改的态度导致游戏成瘾被强化。

Reason One: Variable Reward.

最近在supermemo wiki上看到了一片非常好的文章，讲述了儿童游戏成瘾的原因。原文标题“Reward diversity in preventing addictions-supermemo.guru ” 下面介绍一下文章的主要观点。

Gaming addiction is allegedly caused by variable reward, however, inconsistent parenting can produce a more dangerous variability at a higher level. In the end, it may turn out that a parent is more guilty than a game developer.

游戏成瘾的原因在于variable reward。可变奖励。什么是可变奖励，这牵扯到B. F. Skinner的Operant conditioning-wiki。wikipedia中介绍了

As stated earlier in this article, a variable ratio schedule yields reinforcement after the emission of an unpredictable number of responses. This schedule typically generates rapid, persistent responding. Slot machines pay off on a variable ratio schedule, and they produce just this sort of persistent lever-pulling behavior in gamblers. The variable ratio payoff from slot machines and other forms of gambling has often been cited as a factor underlying gambling addiction.

游戏的奖励是variable ratio的，因此这会导致成瘾行为。

Reason Two: Deprive children’s Freedom

还有一个原因是家长的干涉反而导致“罗密欧和朱丽叶效应”

The main risk for developing a gaming disorder stems largely from the assault on child’s freedoms. In an attempt to control gaming time, parents introduce unclear rules, spark fights, impose restrictions, improvise, confiscate devices, impose penalty chores, etc. The more irrational and unpredictable their behavior, the more the reward of access to gaming become variable reward. In addition, school plays a similar role and adds to the sense of loss of control. This is exactly how variable reward drives gambling at the level above the game itself. The reward is the access to the game, not the tricks that a game developer might have programmed in to keep kids addicted. A healthy brain will saturate. The joy and attraction cannot last for ever. There are other attractions in life. There are other games. There is fatigue. There are many balancing forces that terminate gaming without the fall into addiction (see: Videogames and TV tend to saturate).

Reason Three: Parents’ Unpredictable Behavior

这一条对Reason Two更近一步，家长除了干涉孩子打游戏的时间，还对规则朝令夕改，家长本身的行为也难以预测，这也成为了另外一种Variable reward或者叫“Variable punishment”。由此游戏的成瘾行为被放大了。

如何解决

解决办法第一步应该是是“欲望转移”，即找到其他更加有趣的事情，这样游戏就没有那么有吸引力了。文章中也有提到

Diversity of reward is an important defense against the dangers of variable reward. Reward diversity is preventive in depression.

第二步应该是让Operant Conditioning satiating化。Operant Conditioning wikipedia中写到

Satiation/Deprivation: The effectiveness of a positive or “appetitive” stimulus will be reduced if the individual has received enough of that stimulus to satisfy his/her appetite. The opposite effect will occur if the individual becomes deprived of that stimulus: the effectiveness of a consequence will then increase. A subject with a full stomach wouldn’t feel as motivated as a hungry one.[19]

就是稳定的满足，将会降低对游戏的欲望。

无独有偶，王建硕也在杀死欲望最好的方法是满足它 中提到了类似的观点

反向思考

抖音和游戏成瘾的很大一部分原因都来自于难以预料的奖励，但variable reward是否有其他好的作用呢？

在戒酒和戒毒的过程中，最有效的干预治疗法被称为“鱼缸法”。这就证明了，难以预料的奖励究竟有多么强大的力量。和有保证的小奖励相比，我们的奖励系统面对可能获得的大奖会更加兴奋，它会促使我们去做任何可能获奖的事。这就是为什么人们宁愿买乐透彩票，也不愿把钱存到银行里。赚取有保障的2%的利息。这也就是为什么，即便是公司最底层的员工也相信自己有朝一日能成为CEO

ps: 我突然在想，如果将《掌控习惯》中的立刻奖励，即saving account策略和鱼缸法相结合，会怎样
其他类似的句子

A good way to keep desire is to suppress it
Hunger is the best spice