The Iowa Gambling Task

The Iowa Gambling Task is a psychological experiment used to study decision-making and how people evaluate risk and reward. Participants choose cards from different decks, each with varying gains and losses. Some decks offer high rewards but also high losses, while others provide smaller, more consistent wins. Over time, healthy individuals learn to avoid risky decks and favor safer ones. The task helps researchers understand how emotions and reasoning influence choices, especially in conditions like addiction or brain injuries. It reveals how people balance immediate gains against potential long-term consequences in decision-making processes.