Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 15, 2026
19:15
Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale
Published on: August 25, 2014
88.1K
Consequences for peers differentially bias computations about risk across development.
Katherine E Powers1, Gideon Yaffe2, Catherine A Hartley3
1Department of Psychology, Harvard University.
Journal of Experimental Psychology. General
|January 23, 2018
Summary
Adolescents increasingly consider friends' outcomes when making risky decisions, prioritizing their friends
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Behavioral Economics
Background:
- Adolescents frequently engage in risky behaviors with peers.
- The influence of peer consequences on adolescent risk-taking decisions is not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how peer outcomes influence adolescent risk-taking.
- To examine the developmental trajectory of considering peer consequences in decision-making.
Main Methods:
- Utilized an economic decision-making task with participants aged 12-25.
- Assessed how individuals weigh potential positive and negative consequences for peers.
Main Results:
- Risk assessment increasingly incorporates friends' outcomes from adolescence to early adulthood.
- Decision-making shows asymmetric consideration, overprotecting friends from losses.
- Adolescents consider peer outcomes regardless of being observed, unlike adults.
Conclusions:
- Peer outcomes significantly modulate risk tolerance, particularly in adolescents.
- Social motivations are fundamental to adolescent risk-taking behavior.
- Findings have implications for legal contexts and risk-prevention strategies.
Related Concept Videos
01:31Confirmation Biases
8.3K
The confirmation bias is the tendency to focus on information that confirms our existing beliefs and ignore information that is inconsistent with our expectations. For example, if you think that your professor is not very nice, you notice all of the instances of rude behavior exhibited by the professor while ignoring the countless pleasant interactions he is involved in on a daily basis. Have you ever fallen prey to the confirmation bias, either as the source or target of such bias?
8.3K
01:12Hindsight Biases
4.3K
Hindsight bias leads you to believe that the event you just experienced was predictable, even though it really wasn’t. In other words, you knew all along that things would turn out the way they did. Can you relate this to the phrase "Hindsight is 20/20" now?
4.3K
01:22Bias
7.4K
Bias refers to any tendency that prevents a question from being considered unprejudiced. In research, bias occurs when one outcome or answer is selected or encouraged over others in sampling or testing. Bias can occur during any research phase, including study design, data collection, analysis, and publication.
In statistics, a sampling bias is created when a sample is collected from a population, and some members of the population are not as likely to be chosen as others (remember, each member...
In statistics, a sampling bias is created when a sample is collected from a population, and some members of the population are not as likely to be chosen as others (remember, each member...
7.4K
01:08Timing and Consequences on Behavior
444
In operant conditioning, the timing of reinforcement is crucial. For animals like rats and cats, immediate reinforcement (within a few seconds) is much more effective than delayed reinforcement. For example, a food reward for a rat needs to follow within 30 seconds of pressing a bar to be effective.
Humans, however, can respond to delayed reinforcers. We often make decisions between immediate small rewards and delayed larger rewards. This ability to delay gratification is a significant...
Humans, however, can respond to delayed reinforcers. We often make decisions between immediate small rewards and delayed larger rewards. This ability to delay gratification is a significant...
444
01:23Influence of Parents and Peers on Identity
593
Adolescence is a pivotal period of identity formation, during which individuals begin to answer questions central to their sense of self, such as "Who am I?" and "Who do I hope to become?" Both parents and peers play critical roles in guiding adolescents through this complex developmental phase.
Parental Influence on Identity Development
Parents serve as primary guides and managers in an adolescent's life, offering support instrumental in decision-making and personal growth....
Parental Influence on Identity Development
Parents serve as primary guides and managers in an adolescent's life, offering support instrumental in decision-making and personal growth....
593
01:17Correspondence Bias
234
Correspondence bias, also referred to as the fundamental attribution error, describes the tendency to attribute another person’s behavior to internal characteristics rather than situational influences. This cognitive bias leads individuals to overlook external factors that may be influencing actions, thereby fostering potentially inaccurate assessments of others’ intentions and dispositions.Empirical Evidence for Correspondence BiasResearch has consistently demonstrated the...
234