What does risk shift refer to in a group decision-making context?

Risk shift refers to the phenomenon observed in group decision-making where the collective choice tends to be riskier than the average choice made by individuals acting alone. This occurs because individuals may feel a sense of anonymity or shared responsibility within a group, which can lead to a willingness to engage in more adventurous or risky behavior than they would when making decisions independently.

When people are part of a group, they often rely on the perceived safety of shared decision-making, leading to riskier outcomes. The group's dynamics, such as social pressure, the diffusion of responsibility, and a desire for consensus, can amplify this tendency. This means that individual hesitations may diminish in a group context, encouraging members to affiliate with the bolder group consensus.

In contrast, the other options suggest that group decisions are inherently safer or more cautious, which does not align with the typically observed behavior of groups engaging in riskier choices compared to individuals acting alone. Thus, the essence of risk shift is accurately captured by the idea that group decisions tend to escalate risk-taking behaviors.