Editing Diffusion of responsibility (section)

===Risk-taking behaviour===
The risky-shift effect (see [[groupshift]]) is the increased likelihood for a group to support or partake in a risky decision or action. Larger groups permit a wider responsibility diffusion than the groups of two or three. As group size increases, the likelihood also increases that the group contains at least one highly risky and influential member who would be able to win over all the others. This demonstrates how larger group size and the increased riskiness of one person can cause the diffusion of responsibility from all group members to only the decisive, risk-taking member.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Bateson |first1=Nicholas |title=Familiarization, group discussion, and risk taking |journal=Journal of Experimental Social Psychology |date=April 1966 |volume=2 |issue=2 |pages=119–129 |doi=10.1016/0022-1031(66)90073-4 }}</ref> From the group-processes standpoint, then, the risky-shift effect becomes stronger as the groups grow larger. And it has been proved by various studies that the risky-shift effect is more pronounced the larger the size of the group.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Teger | first1 = Allan I. | last2 = Pruitt | first2 = Dean G. | year = 1967 | title = Components of group risk taking | journal = Journal of Experimental Social Psychology | volume = 3 | issue = 2| pages = 189–205 | doi = 10.1016/0022-1031(67)90022-4 }}</ref>

In risk-taking literature, diffusion of responsibility occurs when individual members of a group feel less personal responsibility for potential failure in the pursuit of risky options than if acting alone.<ref name="Wallach M 2">{{cite journal | last1 = Wallach | first1 = M. A. | last2 = Kogan | first2 = N. | last3 = Bem | first3 = D. J. | year = 1962 | title = Group influence on individual risk taking | url =https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/108371/1/ets200112.pdf | journal = Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology | volume = 65 | issue = 2| pages = 75–86 | doi=10.1037/h0044376| pmid = 14004673 | hdl = 2027.42/108371 | hdl-access = free }}</ref><ref name="Mynatt C">{{cite journal | last1 = Mynatt | first1 = C. | last2 = Sherman | first2 = S. J. | year = 1975 | title = Responsibility attribution in groups and individuals: a direct test of the diffusion of responsibility hypothesis | journal = Journal of Personality and Social Psychology | volume = 32 | issue = 6| pages = 1111–1118 | doi=10.1037/0022-3514.32.6.1111}}</ref>

Such [[risky shift]] is a stable phenomenon that has been shown in experiments involving group discussion and consensus. For example, a study using risks and payoffs based on monetary gain and loss for problem-solving performance found a greater percentage of shift—hence, increased risk taking in [[group decision making]].<ref name="Wallach M 1" />

Other research suggests that risky shifts can also be attributed to [[group polarization]], majority rules, interpersonal comparisons, [[informational influence]], and familiarisation.<ref name="Myers D">{{cite journal | last1 = Myers | first1 = D. G. | last2 = Lamm | first2 = H. | s2cid = 37390941 | year = 1976 | title = The group polarisation phenomenon | journal = Psychological Bulletin | volume = 83 | issue = 4| pages = 602–627 | doi=10.1037/0033-2909.83.4.602}}</ref><ref name="Bateson N">{{cite journal | last1 = Bateson | first1 = N | year = 1966 | title = Familiarization, group discussion, and risk taking | journal = Journal of Experimental Social Psychology | volume = 2 | issue = 2| pages = 119–129 | doi=10.1016/0022-1031(66)90073-4}}</ref> Like diffusion of responsibility in emergency situations, the larger the size of the group during conditions of discussion and information exchange, the greater the risky shift.<ref name="Teger A">{{cite journal | last1 = Teger | first1 = A. I. | last2 = Pruitt | first2 = D. G. | year = 1967 | title = Components of group risk taking | journal = Journal of Experimental Social Psychology | volume = 3 | issue = 2| pages = 189–205 | doi=10.1016/0022-1031(67)90022-4}}</ref>