This study investigated the relationships between what has been
termed the "risky shift" phenomenon and gender. The independent
variables were the gender of the subjects and the gender of the
confederate who advocated risk during a group discussion. The
results showed that the male subjects took more risk than did
females, and that the male advocate elicited more risk than did the
female advocates. A surprising finding was that the female advocate
elicited no risky shift from female subjects.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Bartol, K., & Wortman, M. (1975). Male versus female leaders: Effects on perceived leader behavior and satisfaction in a hospitalPersonnel Psychology, 28, 533-547.
2.
Brown, R. (1965). Social psychologyNew York : Free Press.
3.
Burnstein, E., & Vinokur, A. (1973). Testing two classes of theories about group induced shifts in individual choiceJournal of Experimental Social Psychology, 9, 123-137.
4.
Cline, R., & Cline, T. (1980). A structural analysis of risky-shift and cautious-shift discussions: the diffusion of responsibility theoryCommunication Quarterly, 28, 26-36.
5.
Coet, L., & McDermott, P. (1979). Sex, instructional set, and group make-up: Organismic and situational factors influencing risk-takingPsychological Reports, 44, 1283-1294.
6.
Eagly, A., Wood, W., & Fishbaugh, L. (1981). Sex differences in conformity: Surveillance by the group as a determinant of male nonconformityJournal of Personality and Social Psychology, 40, 384-394.
7.
Finney, P. (1978). Personality traits attributed to risky and conservative decision makers: Culture values more than riskJournal of Psychology, 99, 187-197.
8.
Goldman, E. (1975). Need achievement as a motivational basis for the risky shiftJournal of Personality, 43, 346-356.
9.
Kogan, N., & Wallach, M. (1964). Risk taking: A study in cognition and personalityNew York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston.
10.
Kogan, N., & Wallach, M. (1967). Risky shift phenomenon in small decision-making groups: A test of the information-exchange hypothesisJournal of Experimental Social Psychology, 3, 75-84.
11.
Levinger, G., & Schneider, D. (1969). A test of the "risk is a value" hypothesisJournal of Personality and Social Psychology, 11, 165-169.
12.
Myers, D., & Bishop, G. (1970). Discussion effects on racial attitudesScience, 169 , 778-789.
13.
Petty, M., & Miles, R. (1976). Leader sex-role stereotyping in a female-dominated work culturePersonnel Psychology, 29, 393-404.
14.
Pruitt, D., & Cosentino, C. (1975). The role of values in choice shiftJournal of Experimental Social Psychology, 11, 301-316.
15.
Seeborg, I., LaFollette, W., & Belohlav, J. (1980). An exploratory analysis of effect of sex on shift in choicesPsychological Reports, 46, 499-504.
16.
Stoner, J. (1961). A comparison of individual and group decisions involving riskUnpublished master's thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
17.
Schwartz, A., Loomis, R., & Herbert, J. (1975). Individual risk taking as a function of manipulated information about normsPsychological Reports , 36, 107-114.
18.
Teger, A., & Pruitt, D. (1967). Components of group risk takingJournal of Experimental Social Psychology, 3, 189-205.
19.
Wallach, M., Kogan, N., & Bem, D. (1962). Group influence on individual risk takingJournal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 65, 75-86.
20.
Wallach, M., & Wing, C. (1968). Is risk a value?Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 9, 101-106.
21.
Zirkes, R., Kelling, G., & Myerowitz, D. (1976). Risk as value: A switch of set hypothesisPsychological Reports, 38, 655-658.
