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Risk taking in adolescence: what changes, and why?
1Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA. lds@temple.edu
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
|July 15, 2004
Summary
Adolescent risk-taking stems from underdeveloped self-regulation, not altered risk perception. Interventions should focus on harm reduction, acknowledging biological drivers of adolescent behavior.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Behavioral Economics
Background:
- Existing research shows minimal age differences in risk perception and appraisal.
- Adolescents exhibit a greater propensity for risk-taking compared to adults.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the underlying causes of heightened adolescent risk-taking behavior.
- To differentiate between cognitive and psychosocial factors influencing adolescent decision-making.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of extant studies on age differences in cognitive and psychosocial factors.
- Theoretical framework examining the interplay between sensation seeking and self-regulation.
Main Results:
- Adolescent risk-taking is primarily linked to psychosocial factors influencing self-regulation, not cognitive appraisal.
- A developmental disjunction exists between increased novelty seeking and delayed self-regulatory competence in adolescence.
Conclusions:
- Adolescence is a vulnerable period for risk-taking due to biological factors driving sensation seeking.
- Educational interventions should focus on harm reduction rather than altering risk perception in adolescents.