
Theories have included: Wallach, Kogan, and Bem (1964) proposed that greater risks are chosen due to a diffusion of responsibility, where emotional bonds decrease anxieties and risk is perceived as shared. Collins and Guetzkow (1964) suggested that high risk-takers are more confident and hence may persuade others to take greater risks.
What is the risky shift phenomenon?
Risky shift phenomenon is a change in group attitude that raises the chance for negative consequences. It's part of the study of choice shift. In this phenomenon, individual opinions can change to be stronger with the input of a group. There's actually also such a thing as a cautious shift, which represents safer attitudes taken on by the group.
Is the risky shift based on dilemmas of choice?
The risky shift finding has been almost universally based on one measure of risk the twelve item Dilemmas-of-Choice questionnaire developed by Wallach and Kogan (1959, 1961). The finding based on this instrument has been highly consistent.
What is the risky shift in group polarization?
The shift was demonstrated in countries around the world and with many kinds of group participants (Forsyth, 1990). The risky shift is actually a form of “group polarization” - the tendency of group members to decide on a more extreme course of action than would be suggested by the average of their individual judgments.
Do group risk shifts really happen?
The 1960’s saw a flurry of research interest in the area and it was indeed confirmed that group risky shifts occurred. The shift was demonstrated in countries around the world and with many kinds of group participants (Forsyth, 1990).

Who came up with risky shift?
StonerWhat is the “Risky Shift”? This phenomenon was first discovered as part of a master's thesis by Stoner in 1961 and refers to the tendency for decisions made in groups to be less conservative than the decision of the average group member (Shaw, 1976).
What is risky shift quizlet?
Terms in this set (9) Risky shift. The tendency for the group decision to involve more risk than the average individual decisions.
What is the group polarization effect?
Group polarization is defined as a phenomenon when “members of a deliberating group move toward a more extreme point in whatever direction is indicted by the members' predeliberation tendency.” Group polarization leads to changing attitudes among individuals within the group.
Why do groups make riskier decisions than individuals?
One of the biggest culprits for risky shift and many other bad team habits and behaviors has to do with team size. That is, the larger the team, the more susceptible it is to risky shift and other pitfalls like groupthink. The evidence has converged around an ideal team size of about 5-7 members maximum.
What is the importance of groupthink and risky shift?
As a result of Group Think, the group tends to a higher collective confidence in a decision than individuals have in the same decision made separately. Therefore, with dissent discouraged, groups tend to endorse higher risk decisions than individuals would. Psychologists refer to this as “risky shift”.
Which of the following is a similarity between the cognitive dissonance theory and self perception theory quizlet?
Which of the following is a similarity between the cognitive dissonance theory and self-perception theory? Both theories suggest that behavior can change attitudes.
What is the difference between risky shift and group polarization?
Risky Shift Phenomenon vs Group Polarization Risky shift phenomenon simply results in taking risks. Through risky shift phenomenon, individuals influence each other. Through group polarization, group members can be influenced by different factors such as discussions, information, research, or expectations.
Who invented group polarization?
Serge MoscoviciSerge Moscovici, a Romanian-born French sociologist, and Marisa Zavalloni, an Italian-born Canadian social psychologist introduced the concept of group polarization. The researchers studied a group of 140 male secondary school students in group discussions.
What is polarization in sociology?
Social polarization is the segregation within a society that emerges when factors such as income inequality, real-estate fluctuations and economic displacement result in the differentiation of social groups from high-income to low-income.
Do groups make riskier decisions than individuals?
In recent years a substantial body of research has suggested that groups take greater risks than individuals. That is, the research indicates that group decisions are more risky than the average of the decisions of the individuals who constitute the group.
Why do groups make better decisions than individuals?
Group decision making has the advantages of drawing from the experiences and perspectives of a larger number of individuals. Hence, they have the potential to be more creative and lead to a more effective decision. In fact, groups may sometimes achieve results beyond what they could have done as individuals.
What is groupthink in social psychology?
groupthink, mode of thinking in which individual members of small cohesive groups tend to accept a viewpoint or conclusion that represents a perceived group consensus, whether or not the group members believe it to be valid, correct, or optimal.
Which of the following would be considered a risky behavior?
Risky behaviors, such as substance abuse, heavy alcohol consumption, unprotected sexual intercourse, reckless driving, or extreme sports are considered potential threats to health, or even life.
What are the main risky behaviors that can cause physical or emotional harm quizlet?
Match unintentional injuries. cigarette use. substance use. risky sexual behavior. physical inactivity. unhealthy dietary behaviors.
Which characteristic is a risk factor for recidivism quizlet?
The primary static predictors whether someone will reoffend are as follows: current age, past criminal history, age at first arrest, type of crime committed.
What does Mark 13 say about Jesus quizlet?
Terms in this set (5) What does Jesus speak about in Mark 13? The end times. When Jesus prays in the Garden of Gethsemane prior to His betrayal and arrest, how does He address God?
What is the shift in risk perception called?
The overall tendency towards a shift in risk perception is also sometimes called choice shift .
Which two authors suggested that high risk-takers are more confident and hence may persuade others to?
Collins and Guetzkow (1964) suggested that high risk-takers are more confident and hence may persuade others to take greater risks. Brown (1965) indicates that social status in groups is often associated with risk-taking, leading people to avoid a low risk position.
Why are greater risks chosen?
Theories have included: Wallach, Kogan, and Bem (1964) proposed that greater risks are chosen due to a diffusion of responsibility, where emotional bonds decrease anxieties and risk is perceived as shared.
What does Bateson say about risk?
Bateson (1966) suggests that as people pay attention to a possible action, they become more familiar and comfortable with it and hence perceive less risk.
What is groupthink in psychology?
groupthink: - Groups can make bad decisions based on pressure to maintain cohesiveness. Match the terms about attributions with their definitions. personal attributions: - explaining a person's actions based on his traits or personality. actor/observer discrepancy:
Who conducted a study in which foul-smelling smoke started coming through heating vents in a room?
Latané and Darley conducted a study in which foul-smelling smoke started coming through heating vents in a room where participants were filling out a questionnaire.
Who observed the risky shift?
The study of group polarization can be traced back to an unpublished 1961 Master's thesis by MIT student James Stoner, who observed the so-called "risky shift". The concept of risky shift maintains that a group's decisions are riskier than the average of the individual decisions of members before the group met.
What is risky and cautious shift?
Risky and cautious shifts are both a part of a more generalized idea known as group-induced attitude polarization. Though group polarization deals mainly with risk-involving decisions and/or opinions, discussion-induced shifts have been shown to occur on several non-risk-involving levels. This suggests that a general phenomenon of choice-shifts exists apart from only risk-related decisions. Stoner (1968) found that a decision is impacted by the values behind that circumstances of the decision. The study found that situations that normally favor the more risky alternative increased risky shifts. More so, situations that normally favor the cautious alternative increased cautious shifts. These findings also show the importance of previous group shifts. Choice shifts are mainly explained by largely differing human values and how highly these values are held by an individual. According to Moscovici et al. (1972) interaction within a group and differences of opinion are necessary for group polarization to take place. While an extremist in the group may sway opinion, the shift can only occur with sufficient and proper interaction within the group. In other words, the extremist will have no impact without interaction. Also, Moscovici et al. found individual preferences to be irrelevant; it is differences of opinion which will cause the shift. This finding demonstrates how one opinion in the group will not sway the group; it is the combination of all the individual opinions that will make an impact.
How are group polarization and choice shifts similar?
Group polarization refers to attitude change on the individual level due to the influence of the group, and choice shift refers to the outcome of that attitude change; namely, the difference between the average group members' pre-group discussion attitudes and the outcome of the group decision.
How does normative influence affect group polarization?
According to the social comparison interpretation, group polarization occurs as a result of individuals' desire to gain acceptance and be perceived in a favorable way by their group. The theory holds that people first compare their own ideas with those held by the rest of the group; they observe and evaluate what the group values and prefers. In order to gain acceptance, people then take a position that is similar to everyone else's but slightly more extreme. In doing so, individuals support the group's beliefs while still presenting themselves as admirable group "leaders". The presence of a member with an extreme viewpoint or attitude does not further polarize the group. Studies regarding the theory have demonstrated that normative influence is more likely with judgmental issues, a group goal of harmony, person-oriented group members, and public responses.
What is the phenomenon of group attitudes?
The phenomenon also holds that a group's attitude toward a situation may change in the sense that the individuals' initial attitudes have strengthened and intensified after group discussion, a phenomenon known as attitude polarization.
When did psychologists start studying polarization?
Since the late 1960s , psychologists have carried out a number of studies on various aspects of attitude polarization.
Do well established groups suffer from polarization?
Research has suggested that well-established groups suffer less from polarization, as do groups discussing problems that are well known to them. However, in situations where groups are somewhat newly formed and tasks are new, group polarization can demonstrate a more profound influence on the decision-making.
