title: Risk-taking in social settings: Group and peer effects.
abstract: We investigate experimentally the effect of consultation (unincentivized advice) on choices under risk in an incentivized investment task. We compare consultation to two benchmark treatments: one with isolated individual choices, and a second with group choice after communication. Our benchmark treatments replicate findings that groups take more risk than individuals in the investment task; content analysis of group discussions reveals that higher risk-taking in groups is positively correlated with mentions of expected value. In our consultation treatments, we find evidence of peer effects: decisions within the peer group are significantly correlated. However, average risk-taking after consultation is not significantly different from isolated individual choices. We also find that risk-taking after consultation is not affected by adding a feedback stage in which subjects see the choices of their consultation peers.
authors.affiliation: School of Economics, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Spiros
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bougheas
authors.affiliation: School of Economics, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Jeroen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nieboer
authors.affiliation: School of Economics, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sefton
keywords: Advice; Choice under risk; Experimental economics; Peer effects; Social influence