Editing Gambler's fallacy (section)

===Neurophysiology===
While the [[representativeness heuristic]] and other cognitive biases are the most commonly cited cause of the gambler's fallacy, research suggests that there may also be a [[Neurology|neurological]] component. [[Functional magnetic resonance imaging]] has shown that after losing a bet or gamble, known as riskloss, the [[frontoparietal network]] of the brain is activated, resulting in more risk-taking behavior. In contrast, there is decreased activity in the [[amygdala]], [[caudate nucleus|caudate]], and [[ventral striatum]] after a riskloss. Activation in the amygdala is [[Negative correlation|negatively correlated]] with gambler's fallacy, so that the more activity exhibited in the amygdala, the less likely an individual is to fall prey to the gambler's fallacy. These results suggest that gambler's fallacy relies more on the [[prefrontal cortex]], which is responsible for [[Executive functions|executive]], goal-directed processes, and less on the brain areas that control [[Affect (psychology)|affective]] decision-making.

The desire to continue gambling or betting is controlled by the [[striatum]], which supports a choice-outcome contingency learning method. The striatum processes the errors in prediction and the behavior changes accordingly. After a win, the positive behavior is [[Reinforcement|reinforced]] and after a loss, the behavior is [[Operant conditioning|conditioned]] to be avoided. In individuals exhibiting the gambler's fallacy, this choice-outcome contingency method is impaired, and they continue to make risks after a series of losses.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Xue | first1 = G. | last2 = Lu | first2 = Z. | last3 = Levin | first3 = I. P. | last4 = Bechara | first4 = A. | year = 2011 | title = An fMRI study of risk-taking following wins and losses: Implications for the gambler's fallacy | journal = Human Brain Mapping | volume = 32 | issue = 2| pages = 271–281 | doi=10.1002/hbm.21015| pmc = 3429350 | pmid=21229615}}</ref>