skip to main content skip to footer

Are Risk Takers More Persuasive Than Conservatives in Group Discussion?

Author(s):
Burt, Roger B.; Kogan, Nathan; Wallach, Michael A.
Publication Year:
1967
Report Number:
RB-67-33
Source:
ETS Research Bulletin
Document Type:
Report
Page Count:
28
Subject/Key Words:
National Science Foundation (NSF), Behavior Change, Conservatism, Group Discussion, Persuasive Discourse, Risk, Sex Differences, Social Influences

Abstract

This study investigated whether the phenomenon of shifts toward greater risk taking following discussion of risk-related materials can be attributed to greater general persuasiveness exerted by risk takers than by conservatives. Its procedure was to discover whether risk takers would be judged more persuasive than conservatives following discussion of risk-neutral materials. Risk takers were judged slightly more persuasive than conservatives in the case of female discussion groups, but not at all in the case of male groups. Our conclusion was that the risky-shift phenomenon cannot be attributed to greater persuasiveness as a general characteristic of high risk takers in male groups, while this factor can play no more than a small role in female groups.

Read More