Group Influences on Young Adult Warfighters' Risk-Taking.

摘要

During this research period, we retained local IRB approval of the protocol and related documents. We have completed the first experiment and have begun the second experiment in the study protocol. In the first experiment, we enrolled 120 males tested in the alone condition and 102 males tested in the peer condition (i.e., in the presence of 3 other observing male subjects). All subjects were adolescent males between 18 and 22 years old. Overall, 528 subjects were enrolled in the first experiment. Data from experiment 1 demonstrate 3 important findings: 1) Peers increase adolescents sensitivity to rewards, including greater preference for immediate over delayed rewards; 2) Peers increase adolescents sensitivity to both positive and negative feedback, and thus enhance adolescents ability to learn from the outcome of their choices; 3) Peers do not make adolescents more impulsive. The second experiment is in progress and we have thus far enrolled 50 male subjects, aged 18-22, tested in the presence of three male peer subjects, two of whom are also 18-22 years old and one of whom is 25-30 years old. Total number of subjects enrolled thus far is 200. Data collection for experiment 2 is in progress.