Group Influences on Young Adult Warfighters' Risk Taking
Abstract
The purpose of our project is to compare decision-making of young males (ages 18-22) acting within groups that are composed in different ways and/or under varying situational circumstances. During this projects funding period, we completed three experiments that allowed us to compare decision-making of young males (ages 18-22) acting within groups in different situational contexts. In the first experiment, we showed that young males are more risky and reward sensitive when making decisions in the presence of three same-age peers relative to when making decisions alone; in the second experiment, we showed that the presence of a slightly older adult significantly attenuates the peer effect, making young males in a peer context less risky and reward sensitive than they are when there is no adult present; lastly, in the third experiment, we showed that the presence of same-aged peers has effects on young adults decision-making that are comparable to the adverse effects of mental fatigue.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 2016
- Accession Number
- AD1039064
Entities
People
- Laurence Steinberg
Organizations
- Temple University