A Comparison of College Students and Narcotic Addicts on a Risky-Cautious Dimension

Abstract

College students made individual decisions on risky and cautious value engaging situations, following which they indicated the assumed or predicated decisions (1) for other college students, (2) for addicts, and (3) for the response they would most admire. Narcotic addicts also made their own decisions on the same problems. The students' results supported Brown's (1965) assumption that persons tend to see themselves as relatively more risky or cautious than others, depending upon the values engaged. Generally, the valued responses (most admired) were the most extreme in the direction of the values engaged. The student's own decisions were next in order, followed by the predicted responses for other students and for addicts, which were less extreme in the direction of the values engaged. The predicted responses for addicts were interpreted in terms of stereotype-directed response patterns. Comparisons between the actual decisions made by the students and by the addicts suggest that the addicts were less sensitive and responsive to the values engaged in the particular problems employed. Stereotype accuracy was assessed by comparing the students' predicted responses with addicts' actual decisions.