Proposal with proper valuation of the reliability related risk taking

Compared to childhood and adulthood, adolescence is a time of greater risk-taking behavior, potentially resulting in serious consequences. Theories of adolescent brain development highlight the imbalance between neural circuitry for reward vs. regulation. Although this imbalance may make adolescents more vulnerable to impaired decision-making in the context of heightened arousal, not all adolescents exhibit problematic risk behavior, suggesting other factors are involved. Relatedly, parent-adolescent conflict increases in mid-adolescence, and is linked to negative outcomes like substance use related risk-taking. However, the mechanism by which parent-adolescent conflict and risk-taking are linked is still unknown. Therefore, we investigated this association using a multi-method experimental design. Parent-adolescent dyads were randomly assigned to complete a discussion task together on the topic of either the adolescent’s dream vacation or an adolescent-identified conflict topic. During the task, adolescent peripheral psychophysiology was measured for later calculation of heart rate variability (HRV), an index of self-regulation. Immediately after the discussion task, adolescents completed a performance-based measure of risk-taking propensity that indexes real-world risk behaviors. We hypothesized that parent-adolescent conflict would predict greater adolescent risk-taking propensity, and that increased behavioral arousal in the context of conflict, coupled with impaired self-regulation, would explain this link. Results indicated no direct effect of parent-adolescent conflict on adolescent risk-taking propensity. However, there was a significant conditional indirect effect: lower HRV, indexing worse regulatory ability, mediated the relation between conflict and risk-taking propensity but only for adolescents exhibiting behavioral arousal during the discussion task. We discuss implications for understanding adolescent risk-taking behavior.

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Patron offending and intoxication in night-time entertainment districts (POINTED): A study protocol

The International Journal of Alcohol and Drug Research ◽

10.7895/ijadr.v2i1.74 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

pp. 69-76 ◽

Cited By ~ 39

Author(s):

Peter Miller ◽

Amy Pennay ◽

Rebecca Jenkinson ◽

Nicolas Droste ◽

Tanya Chikritzhs ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Study Protocol ◽

Risk Taking ◽

Drug Testing ◽

Geographical Location ◽

Risky Behaviour ◽

Night Time ◽

Policy Makers ◽

Risky Alcohol ◽

Related Risk ◽

Risky Alcohol Consumption

Miller, P., Pennay, A., Jenkinson, R., Droste, N., Chikritzhs, T., Tomsen, S., Wadds, P., Jones, S. C., Palmer, D., Barrie, L. & Lubman, D. I. (2013). Patron offending and intoxication in night-time entertainment districts (POINTED): A study protocol. International Journal of Alcohol and Drug Research, 2(1), 69-76. doi: 10.7895/ijadr.v2i1.74 (http://dx.doi.org/10.7895/ijadr.v2i1.74)Risky alcohol consumption is the subject of considerable community concern in Australia and internationally, particularly the risky drinking practices of young people consuming alcohol in the night-time economy. This study will determine some of the factors and correlates associated with alcohol-related risk-taking, offending and harm in and around licensed venues and night-time entertainment precincts across five Australian cities (three metropolitan and two regional). The primary aim of the study is to measure levels of pre-drinking, drinking in venues, intoxication, illicit drug use and potentially harmful drinking practices (such as mixing with energy drinks) of patrons in entertainment areas, and relating this to offending, risky behaviour and harms experienced. The study will also investigate the effects of license type, trading hours, duration of drinking episodes and geographical location on intoxication, offending, risk-taking and experience of harm. Data collection involves patron interviews (incorporating breathalysing and drug testing) with 7500 people attending licensed venues. Intensive venue observations (n=112) will also be undertaken in a range of venues, including pubs, bars and nightclubs. The information gathered through this study will inform prevention and enforcement approaches of policy makers, police and venue staff.

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