The Effect on Risk Taking of Sex of Group Members, Group Homogeneity, and Problem Content

Sex, Instructional Set, and Group Make-up: Organismic and Situational Factors Influencing Risk-Taking

The present piece of research was designed to investigate the effects of sex, type of instruction, and group composition on risk-taking behavior. Risk-oriented instructions produced significantly greater risk than neutral instructions for both individuals and groups. There were no significant shifts in risk when analyzing the difference between an individual's prescore and his score during group interaction. Males consistently demonstrated greater risk-taking behavior than females. Furthermore, all-male groups displayed more risk than either all-female, mixed-sex, or control groups. Plausible explanations were offered: sex-role stereotyping and consistency or congruity theory. Implications for research were discussed.

Betting Behavior in Sexually Homogeneous and Heterogeneous Groups

Groups of undergraduates, 4 males, 4 females, 3 males-1 female, or 3 females-1 male made bets in an individual condition (Phase I). One-half the groups were then transferred to a group condition in which Ss knew the bets of other group members and one-half continued to make bets in the individual condition (Phase II). In Phase I males were more risky than females. In Phase II Ss in the group condition were more risky than those in the individual condition and males were more risky than females in both the individual and group conditions. In the group condition males in all-male groups and with one female in the group shifted toward risk, but males with three females in the group shifted toward caution. In the group condition females in all-female groups were cautious, became slightly more risky with one male in the group, and showed a marked shift toward risk with three males in the group These results are similar to the Asch (1952) conformity studies and suggest that shifts toward risk or caution are due to conformity to group pressure.