Risk Perception: Unrealistic Optimism or Realistic Expectancy

1999 ◽  
Vol 84 (3) ◽  
pp. 731-738 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paolo Todesco ◽  
Stephen B. Hillman
Keyword(s):  
Risk Perception ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Risk Taking ◽  
Low Risk ◽  
Unrealistic Optimism ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Personal Risk ◽  
Older Adolescents ◽  
Risk Takers ◽  
Risk Taking Behaviors

The current study investigated risk perception and Unrealistic Optimism as a function of involvement in risk. 74 undergraduate students were asked to rate how likely they were to encounter various negative consequences relative to various comparison targets (child, peer, and parent) and specified their actual involvement in risk-taking. Over-all, 37 High and 37 Low Risk-takers rated harmful events similarly, adding support for disputing the hypothesis that risk-takers consider themselves to be invulnerable. When these older adolescents compared themselves with children, they rated their personal risk of engaging in the health threatening behaviors as higher. Adolescents can realistically appraise the differences between themselves and children and view themselves as more likely to encounter the negative outcomes of risk-taking behaviors. Implications are discussed.

Risk-Taking Behaviors and Subgrouping of College Students

2013 ◽  
Vol 7 (6) ◽  
pp. 475-481 ◽  
Author(s):  
Asghar Mohammadpoorasl ◽  
Abbas Abbasi Ghahramanloo ◽  
Hamid Allahverdipour
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Risk Taking ◽  
Parental Support ◽  
Latent Class ◽  
Risky Behaviors ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Familial Support ◽  
Risk Takers ◽  
Risk Taking Behaviors

Risk-taking behaviors have negative consequences on adolescent and young adult’s health. The aim of this study was to identify the subgroups of college students on the basis of risk-taking behaviors and to assess the role of demographic characteristics, religious beliefs, and parental support on membership of specific subgroup. The cross-sectional study took place in Tabriz (northwest of Iran) in April and May of 2011. The randomly selected sample consisted of 1,837 college students. A survey questionnaire was used to collect data. Latent class analysis was performed to achieve the study’s objectives. Four latent classes were identified: (a) low risk, (b) cigarette and hookah smoker, (c) sexual and drinking risk-takers (for males)/sexual risk takers (for females), and (d) high risk. Notably, 13.3% of the males and 4.3% of the females were in the high-risk class. The results identified evidence of protective influence of familial support and religiosity on risky behaviors. A fair number of college students, males in particular, were identified as high risk-takers. Design and implementation of preventive interventions for this segment of the population are necessary. Higher level of familial support and religiosity may serve as preventive factors in risk-taking behaviors.

ADHD-associated risk-taking: The role of benefit and risk perceptions

2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (S1) ◽  
pp. S533-S533
Author(s):  
Y. Pollak ◽  
H. Aloni ◽  
R. Shoham
Keyword(s):  
Risk Perception ◽  
Risk Taking ◽  
Risk Perceptions ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Risky Behaviors ◽  
Adhd Symptoms ◽  
Benefit Perception ◽  
Risk Taking Behaviors ◽  
Benefit And Risk

Attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is associated with increased engagement in risk-taking behaviors. The present study aimed to further our knowledge regarding the extent and the reasons for the association between ADHD symptoms and risk-taking, using a theory-driven behavioral economy theory. The Domain Specific Risk-Taking scale was used, on which 244 adults rated the likelihood of engagement in a range of risky behaviors, across five real life domains, as well as the magnitude of perceived benefit and risk they ascribed to these behaviors. Level of ADHD symptoms was positively correlated with engagement in risky behaviors and benefit perception, but not with risk perception. Mediation analysis confirmed that benefit perception, but not risk perception, mediated the association between ADHD symptoms and engagement in risk-taking behaviors (Fig. 1). These findings emphasize the role of benefit perception in facilitating risk-taking by people with ADHD symptoms.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

La percezione del rischio in adolescenza: costruzione e validazione di strumenti di rilevazione

2009 ◽  
pp. 145-162
Author(s):  
Anna Rosa Donizzetti
Keyword(s):  
Complex System ◽  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Risk Perception ◽  
Psychometric Properties ◽  
Key Words ◽  
Perceived Risk ◽  
Unrealistic Optimism ◽  
Perception Of Risk ◽  
Personal Risk ◽  
Healthy Behaviour

- If compared to other periods of life, adolescence is characterized by a tendency to implement more likely behaviours that can be harmful to health. The implementation of such behaviours stems from a complex system of assessments, in which the perception of risk is an important, though not exclusive (Petrillo, 2008), factor. To measure adolescence risk perception a question have been used to detect self-reported perceptions and another question for hetero-reported ones. In order to get less general and more suitable measures for this type of target five scales were constructed, referring to different spheres of behaviour (diet, exercise, consumption of alcohol and cigarettes, sexuality), through which subjects were asked to evaluate six possible negative outcomes for themselves and their friends, derived from each behaviour. The scales were administered to 1.107 students of Naples, almost equally distributed by gender (male 40.6% and 59.4% females) and with an average age of 15.7 years. The exploratory and confirmative factor analysis, conducted on each scale of perceived risk, self and hetero reported, showed monodimensional structures, with satisfactory psychometric properties.Key words: personal risk perception, risk perception of peers, adolescents, healthy behaviour, unrealistic optimism, detection scalesParole chiave: percezione del rischio personale, percezione del rischio dei coetanei, adolescenza, comportamenti salutari, ottimismo irrealistico, strumenti di rilevazione

scholarly journals Applying an Evolutionary Approach of Risk-Taking Behaviors in Adolescents

2022 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Javier Salas-Rodríguez ◽  
Luis Gómez-Jacinto ◽  
Isabel Hombrados-Mendieta ◽  
Natalia del Pino-Brunet
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Risk Perception ◽  
Risk Taking ◽  
Lower Risk ◽  
Female Adolescents ◽  
Risk Propensity ◽  
Male Adolescents ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
Expected Benefits ◽  
Risk Taking Behaviors

Risk-taking behaviors in adolescents have traditionally been analyzed from a psychopathological approach, with an excessive emphasis on their potential costs. From evolutionary theory we propose that risk-taking behaviors can be means through which adolescents obtain potential benefits for survival and reproduction. The present study analyses sex differences in three contexts of risk (i.e., risk propensity, expected benefits and risk perception) in the evolutionary specific domains and the predictive value of these domains over risk-taking behaviors, separately in female and male adolescents. 749 adolescents (females = 370) valued their risk perception, expected benefits and risk propensity through the Evolutionary Domain-Specific Risk Scale, as well as their engagement in risk-taking behaviors through the Risky Behavior Questionnaire. Male adolescents showed lower risk perception in two evolutionary domains, expected higher benefits in two other domains and showed higher risk propensity in six domains. Female adolescents showed lower risk perception in two domains. Additionally, risk perception, expected benefits and risk propensity in the evolutionary domains predicted the engagement in risk-taking behaviors in male adolescents, whereas in female adolescents only expected benefits and risk propensity showed a predictive effect over risk-taking behaviors. These results suggest the potential role of evolutionary mechanisms on risk-taking behaviors in adolescents. Results have practical implications for interventions programs aimed at reducing risk-taking behaviors. In addition to considering sex differences, intervention programs should consider alternative behaviors through which adolescents can reach their evolutionary goals, and handle the risks related to those behaviors that cannot be replaced but have potential benefits for adolescents.

Impact of Risk Taking Strategies on Male and Female EFL Learners’ Test Performance: The Case of Multiple Choice Questions

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (10) ◽  
pp. 892 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mehrnoush Karimi ◽  
Reza Biria
Keyword(s):  
Risk Taking ◽  
Test Performance ◽  
Multiple Choice ◽  
Low Risk ◽  
Multiple Choice Questions ◽  
Moderate Risk ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Risk Takers

This study scrutinized the interaction between gender and risk taking variables in test performance of Iranian EFL learners. The research was conducted on 120 male and female EFL learners from Islamic Azad university of Isfahan (khorasgan). The participants received a Venturesomeness subscale of Eysenck `s IVE questionnaire and were asked to rate each item on a 5point Likert-scale. The total score for this questionnaire ranges from 16 to 80. Students who were lower than 30 were considered as low risk-takers, those who were more  than 70 as high risk-takers, and those between 30 and 70 as moderate risk-takers.  In a weeks’ time, a complete TOEFL PBT test comprising 140- multiple-choice items as the second instrument was administrated. The results revealed that the female EFL students were lower risk takers and left questions unanswered more frequently and skipped questions a lot more than their male counterparts. Finally, it was found out that low risk takers answered the least number of questions in comparison to high and moderate risk takers, and consequently, had the most number of questions left unanswered which had a negative effect on test takers’ performance.

scholarly journals Risk-Taking and Creativity: Convergent, but Not Divergent Thinking Is Better in Low-Risk Takers

2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 224-231 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wangbing Shen ◽  
Bernhard Hommel ◽  
Yuan Yuan ◽  
Liu Chang ◽  
Wei Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Risk Taking ◽  
Divergent Thinking ◽  
Low Risk ◽  
Risk Takers

scholarly journals Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices, and Personality Predictors of Risk Taking towards COVİD-19 among University Students in Kenya

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 153-161
Author(s):  
Habil OTANGA
Keyword(s):  
Risk Perception ◽  
University Students ◽  
Social Interactions ◽  
Risk Taking ◽  
Low Risk ◽  
Basic Knowledge ◽  
Attitudes And Practices ◽  
Preventive Practices ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Knowledge Attitudes And Practices

The purpose of this study was to examine the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of university students towards COVID-19, and further, some personality characteristics that exacerbate the risk of infection. Out of the 300 university students based in Mombasa, Kenya, targeted in the online study, 219 submitted their filled questionnaires. Data was analyzed quantitatively using SPSS (v.25). Two-way ANOVA and regression models were used to analyze the data. Findings show high knowledge levels and low-risk behaviors towards COVID-19 but unhealthy attitudes especially among women aged 20-29 who also reported higher extroversion, and positive attitudes towards social interactions during COVID-19. Basic knowledge was predicted by age, gender, extroversion, public self-consciousness, and high-risk perception while advanced knowledge was predicted by basic knowledge. Low-risk perception was predicted by age, basic knowledge, and positive attitudes towards social interaction during COVID-19. Age, extroversion and risk perception predicted attitudes about social interactions. Preventive practices were in turn predicted by gender, risk perception, attitudes towards social interactions, extroversion and lack of premeditation. Findings of the study raise interest about university students’ KAP, underlying personality dynamics that predict risk taking towards COVID-19, and appropriate COVID-19 messaging to affect attitudes.

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