Group Influences on Young Adult Warfighters Risk-Taking

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to study the impact of peers on risk-taking and decision-making among 18-22 year old males who are demographically similar to current warfighters. In an initial series of experiments we explore peer influences on a set of decision-making tasks that differentially emphasize key processes implicated in risky decision making and investigate whether increased levels of mental fatigue, a common element in combat situations, might exacerbate the peer effect. In subsequent experiments, we will investigate whether the inclusion of a single, older team member can moderate younger decision-makers increased inclination toward risk-taking, and whether it is possible to train or condition individuals to be more resistant to the peer effect. Our ultimate interest is in comparing decision-making by individuals acting within groups that are composed in different ways, under varying situational circumstances.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Sep 01, 2013
Accession Number
ADA600462

Entities

People

  • Laurence Steinberg

Organizations

  • Temple University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • C4I
  • Engineered Resilient Systems
  • Human Systems
  • Space
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Brain
  • Cognitive Science
  • Employment
  • Ethnic Groups
  • Families (Human)
  • Health Services
  • Human Behavior
  • Human Development
  • Medical Personnel
  • Mental Processes
  • Personality
  • Psychiatry
  • Psychological Phenomena And Processes
  • Psychology
  • Recreation
  • Social Psychology
  • Societies

Readers

  • Gender and Food Studies
  • Psychological Intervention/Treatment for Stress, Anxiety, PTSD, and Related Emotional and Cognitive Health Symptoms.
  • Team-Based Human-Centered Cognitive Task Decision Making and Information Performance.