Perceived Control and Military Riskiness

Abstract

Contrary to findings of laboratory studies on betting, Higbee and Streufert (1969) found that in a complex decision-making task, Ss who felt that they had control over their environment tended to be less risky than Ss who felt that they did not have control over their environment. Their study involved economic risk, to be comparable with studies on betting. The present study investigated the generality of this finding, using a larger sample of participants and a different kind of risk. Ss participated in the Tactical and Negotiations Game, a complex decision-making task involving a simulated internation conflict. Ss who felt that they were in control of their environment (High Control Group) tended to make more risky military decisions than did Ss who felt that they did not have as much control over their environment (Low Control Group). However, Ss in the High Group were more active. That is, they made more military decisions (risky and nonrisky) than Ss in the Low Group. The High Group did not make more risky decisions relative to the total number of decisions made than did the Low Group.