Subjective Estimates Of Own Relative Riskiness And Risk Taking Following A Group Discussion

Abstract Changes in individual risk preferences following a group discussion were examined on six Choice Dilemma Questionnaire items for the three following self-defined groups of subjects—those who saw themselves as riskier (R), the same as (S), or more cautious than (C) their peers. The results indicated that the risky shifts on individual items were primarily the result of subjects in the C group on each item shifting their preferences in the direction of greater risk. Further, the subjects' perceptions of relative riskiness were veridical on each of the items. Both of these findings were counter to the implicit assumptions in the mechanism posited as responsible for the risky shift by the social value hypothesis. The results were interpreted as suggesting that the risky shift might be profitably viewed within the context of Sherif's social judgment-involvement approach to attitude change.