Predicting adolescent risk behavior using a personalized cost-benefit analysis

Predicting Recklessness in Emerging Adults: A Test of a Psychosocial Model

“…Such variables could reflect people's perceptions of (a) the alternative actions open to them, (b) the possible consequences of these actions, (c) the probability and controllability of such consequences, and (d) the (un)desirability of such consequences (Furby & Beyth-Marom, 1992). Although researchers have empirically tested the extent to which each of these cognitions can predict recklessness, the most common approach to studying recklessness has been to assess the role of perceptions of risk or perceptions of benefits, or both, as antecedents to acts of recklessness (e.g., Benthin et al;Moore & Gullone, 1996;Parsons, Siegel, & Cousins, 1997).…”

“…Similarly, controversy exists as to their relative importance as predictors of reckless outcomes. Although most relevant research (e.g., Moore & Gullone, 1996;Parsons, Halkitis, Bimbi, & Borkowski, 2000;Parsons et al, 1997;Shapiro, Siegel, Scovill, & Hays, 1998;Rolison & Scherman, 2003) has shown perceived benefits to be more highly predictive of reckless behavior, some studies (e.g., Rolison & Scherman, 2002;Small, Silverberg, & Kerns, 1993) indicate perceived risks (or "costs") to be the more important predictor, and others (e.g., Hampson, Severson, Burns, Slovic, & Fisher, 2001) indicate little difference between the predictive utility of the two. Our study aimed to shed light on this issue.…”

“…Although all of these attributes have been associated with recklessness, we attempted, in the current model, to minimize conceptual and empirical overlap by including only one of these variables, impulsivity. We chose to study impulsivity because it predicts many forms of recklessness (see, e.g., Chassin et al, 2004;Colder & Chassin, 1997;Colder & Stice, 1998;Eklund & Klinteberg, 2005;Igra & Irwin, 1996;Moore & Gullone, 1996;Rolison & Scherman, 2002). Also, there is evidence (Clapper et al, 1994;Greene et al, 2000;Rolison & Scherman, 2002) that the links frequently demonstrated between sensation-seeking tendencies and reckless behavior are mainly due to disinhibition, one of four different components in Zuckerman's (1979) model of sensation seeking (the other three being experience seeking, boredom susceptibility, and thrill and adventure seeking).…”

The Effects of Parental Monitoring and Communication on Adolescent Substance Use and Risky Sexual Activity: A Systematic Review

“…During independent decision-making, adolescents also tend to engage in risk-taking behaviour as part of experimentation [3]. Risk-taking behaviour can be defined as behaviour which involves potential negative consequences (loss) but is balanced in some way by perceived positive consequences (gain) [4]. In other words, behaviour will be perceived as less risky if positive consequences outweigh the negative consequences and behaviour will be perceived as very risky if negative consequences outweigh the positive [5].…”

P-9 Comparison between General People and Health Professionals on Qualitative Risk of Medical Practices

“…However, differences in the assumed risks between general people and health professionals can interfere with constructive relationships in the clinical setting. Based on the study by Moore and Gullone (1996) in which participants wrote negative and positive outcomes for various risk behaviors, e.g., taking drugs, smoking, and drinking alcohol, the risks involved in various hazard events are likely to be imagined in a concrete fashion. Tigen, Burn, and Slovic (1988) pointed that lay people had less information than experts did, but their knowledge was based on their past experiences.…”