Dr. Spencer Murch is a cognitive psychologist specializing in behavioural addictions. He is primarily interested in understanding why people develop gambling problems after using modern electronic gambling formats like slot machines and eCasino apps. His ultimate goals are to:
- Build a model that accurately identifies people at risk for developing Gambling Disorder, and
- Develop effective countermeasures and interventions to reduce the number of people who experience life harms as a result of gambling.
Spencer obtained his PhD from The University of British Columbia in 2020. There, he examined the extent to which people’s experience of gambling problems can be attributed to specific structural characteristics of modern slot machines (e.g., multiple payline betting, stopper buttons, free spin bonus features) and their experience of immersion in gambling activities.
In his current role as a Horizon Postdoctoral Fellow at the Concordia Research Chair on Gambling, Spencer is working to identify behavioural markers of problem gambling in a large dataset of online gambling transactions. His primary research interests include cardiac psychophysiology, real-world eye tracking, and statistical modelling for gambling behaviour.
Research Interests
- Gambling Disorder
- Habit-forming digital products
- Machine Learning
Contact
(514) 848- 2424 ext. 5398 williamspencer.murch@mail.concordia.ca