Risky Shift



Here is an example of

people taking part in

Risky Shift activities.



The first topic I chose to research is Risky Shift, which is mentioned briefly in Chapter 6 of Sociology: The Essentials by Margaret Andersen and Howard Taylor. I chose this topic because it is easily relates to daily choices we make in real life. The general idea behind this phenomenon is the fact that we are more likely to participate in more risky activities when we are with a group of people rather than by ourselves. We get the idea that there is less responsibility and blame when there are others who will also take the fall. We also get the sense of deindividuation, that we have somehow merged with a group. A few examples of risky shift include streaking, under-age drinking, and vandalizing. This is true not only in our personal lives, but it also affects political decisions, investment choices, and business practices.

There were two discussion posts that described groupthink and risky shift well - Kimberly Swanson and Adam Harker. Their posts were insightful and also provided some good examples and how the two are related. In Kimberly's post she described a risky behavior as drinking from a water source such as a creek or stream while on a hike with a group of people. An individual may be more likely to drink from a creek or stream without knowing if it is safe if the whole group is doing it. Adam does a great job of explaining how risky shift and groupthink are related. He states, "These two relate because with groupthink as a reality, there will occur times where consensus is perceived to have been reached in regards to a risky decision and individuals will experience deindividuation and feel less responsible for risky behavior."


Scholarly Articles:

"Self-Image, perception of peers' risk acceptance and risky shift"

The following link will take you to an article that discusses risky shift in the realm of self-image. Go to the link and then click PDF Full Text option in the left hand margin to view the entire article.

http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=4&hid=128&sid=831074cc-b934-4354-9a87-184cf0c971c4%40sessionmgr114&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=aph&AN=12030825


"Group risk-taking and group polarization"

The following link will take you to an article that talks about group risk-taking. The articles covers some background materials, individual decision making, group decision making, group polarization, and more. Go to the link below and then click PDF Full Text in the left hard margin to view the entire article.

http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=5&hid=128&sid=831074cc-b934-4354-9a87-184cf0c971c4%40sessionmgr114&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=aph&AN=12043626


Internet Sites to Checkout:

The following link will take you to a website put together by Mike Clayton, the author of Risk Happens. He discusses groupthink, abilene, and risky shift. He has some very interesting insights to the topic of risky shift, like the "First Speaker Effect".

http://mikeclayton.wordpress.com/2010/08/19/groupthink-abilene-and-risky-shift/

The following link takes you to theriskyshift.com, a website that reflects and discusses recent political issues. There are news articles, essays, columns, and theories for you to read. Lots of interesting information!

http://theriskyshift.com/


Video:

This video gives some great examples of situations where we might participate in risky shift activities. The speaker, Travis White, stresses the importance of communication skills to help us avoid the shift towards risky decisions.

Recent News Involving Risky Shift Activity:

The following link will take you to a recent news article involving President Obama's decision to back gay marriage just prior to the 2012 Presidential Election.

http://seattletimes.com/html/nationworld/2018176984_gaymarriage10.html?syndication=rss