Anchoring as a Mechanism for Modifying Risk-Taking Behavior in Military Aviation

Abstract: This study explores the possibility of using anchoring biases to change the risk-taking behavior assessed by the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART). The study involved 90 military aviators who participated in a United Nations-led peacekeeping mission. We used an experimental design in which participants performed BART tasks distributed differently in the experimental groups to change the risk-taking behavior. After three stages, our results showed that the values of the indicator measuring risk-taking behavior were reduced in the low-anchor experimental group when operating in conditions of uncertainty. This indicator is influenced, in risk conditions, by both motor impulsivity and anchoring bias. Impulsivity is moderately associated with risk-taking behavior. The results also show that Big Five personality factors are not significantly associated with risk-taking behavior. In conclusion, these results confirm the role of the anchoring mechanism in changing risk-taking behavior and verify the strong relationship between impulsivity and risk behavior when individuals act in risky conditions.