Effect of Achievement Motivation and Social Environment on Risk Taking

Abstract The effects of achievement motivation and competitive environment on the risk taking choices of Ss performing a motor task were investigated. Fifty achieve success Ss and 50 avoid failure Ss (selected by the French Test of Insight and the Test Anxiety Questionnaire) practiced a modified shuffleboard task from which empirical probabilities of success were found for each S. Ss were randomly placed into 1 of 5 competitive treatment levels—alone, presence of others, interpersonal competition, intergroup competition, and interpersonal and intergroup competition. Each S was given 20 free choice trials. Achieve-success Ss perferred intermediate risk choices to a significantly greater extent than avoid failure Ss and supported risk taking theory. Avoid failure Ss also preferred extreme risk choices to a significantly greater extent than low or intermediate risk. No competitive treatment effects were noted.