Personality Traits Attributed to Risky and Conservative Decision Makers: Culture Values More Than Risk

Summary

Three experiments were conducted to test aspects of the cultural value of risk explanation of the choice shift phenomenon and to contrast the cultural value of risk with a proposed cultural value of status. The status of a target group member and the probability of a successful group outcome [Experiments I (N # 120) and II (N # 96)], as well as the actual outcome of a decision [Experiment III (N # 96)], were varied in a scenario format. Male and female college students rated several personal characteristics of the scenario's central character. Previous research had suggested that risk takers are evaluated more favorably than conservative decision makers. The present experiments, however, suggest that risky individuals were not assigned more favorable traits than conservative individuals, solely on the basis of making risky decisions. Rather, since the predominate American culture seems to value success and status, as well as risk, and risky individuals must succeed in their ventures before they are assigned highly favorable personality traits, it was found that the more of the three apparent cultural values (risk, status, and success) one actually fulfills, the more favorably others will evaluate his personality.