NCJ Number
55614
Date Published
1971
Length
99 pages
Annotation
USING QUESTIONNAIRES AND RECORD DATA, 82 MALE INMATES WERE STUDIED TO DETERMINE THE RELATIONSHIP OF PERSONALITY, CULTURAL, AND SITUATIONAL FACTORS TO RISK TAKING BEHAVIOR.
Abstract
THIS STUDY ALSO ATTEMPTED TO ASSESS THE RELATIVE INFLUENCE OF THESE FACTORS ON THAT BEHAVIOR. SUBJECTS WERE INCARCERATED AT THE NEW YORK CITY CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION FOR MEN. INMATES PARTICIPATING IN THE STUDY WERE ADMINISTERED THE EDWARDS PERSONAL PREFERENCE SCHEDULE AND PARTICIPATED IN TWO EXPERIMENTAL TASKS. ONE OF THE TASKS WAS A GAME OF SKILL, BASED ON SHUFFLEBOARD, AND THE OTHER WAS A GAME OF CHANCE, WHICH CONSISTED OF PLACING BETS ON THROWS OF THE DICE. IT WAS HYPOTHESIZED THAT BLACKS WOULD TAKE MORE RISKS THAN WHITES IN A GAME OF SKILL, BUT WOULD TAKE FEWER CHANCES THAN WHITES IN A GAME OF CHANCE. IT WAS ALSO PREDICTED THAT SUBJECTS WHO APPLIED FOR PAROLE WOULD TAKE MORE RISKS THAN SUBJECTS WHO DID NOT APPLY FOR PAROLE. IT WAS ASSUMED THAT PAROLE, WITH ITS STRICT CONDITIONS, WAS A HIGH RISK SITUATION. ANALYSIS OF THE DATA REVEALED THAT IN THE GAME OF SKILL THERE WERE NO DIFFERENCES BETWEEN BLACKS AND WHITES. HOWEVER, IN THE GAME OF CHANCE, WHITES TOOK MORE RISKS THAN BLACKS. IT WAS ALSO FOUND THAT PAROLE APPLICANTS TOOK MORE RISKS THAN NONAPPLICANTS. CORRELATIONS BETWEEN PERSONALITY VARIABLES AND RISK TAKING BEHAVIOR WERE MINIMAL AND DID NOT REACH TRADITIONAL SIGNIFICANCE LEVELS. EMPHASIS WAS GIVEN TO THE IMPORTANCE OF CULTURAL FACTORS IN MAKING SUCH PREDICTIONS. TABLES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY ARE PROVIDED. (MLC)