Accession Number:

AD1039064

Title:

Group Influences on Young Adult Warfighters' Risk Taking

Descriptive Note:

Technical Report,30 Sep 2012,29 Sep 2016

Corporate Author:

Temple University Philadelphia United States

Personal Author(s):

• Steinberg,Laurence

Report Date:

2016-12-01

Pagination or Media Count:

40.0

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 andor 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.

Descriptors:

• Males
• Decision making
• human behavior
• psychology
• RISK
• group dynamics
• Fatigue (Physiology)
• peer groups
• cognition

Subject Categories:

• Psychology

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE