ADHD Characteristics Are Linked to Divergent Risk-Taking Behaviors

Decades of research on individuals with ADHD across the lifespan have consistently demonstrated an increased tendency for negative risk-taking. However, the potential for positive forms of risk-taking has been largely overlooked. Very recently, Braams et al. were the first to report an increased likelihood of prosocial risk-taking, a subtype of positive risk-taking, among adolescents with ADHD. Building on their findings, the present preregistered study investigates self-reported likelihoods of engaging in negative, positive, and prosocial risk-taking and examines their associations with ADHD characteristics, as well as internalizing symptoms as comparison measures.

This correlational study analyzed survey data from 611 participants drawn from the Dutch general population. Participants rated their likelihood of engaging in negative, positive, and prosocial risk-taking behaviors and completed standardized questionnaires assessing ADHD characteristics as well as internalizing symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. Correlation analyses, regression models, and categorical analyses were used to examine the unique and combined contributions of ADHD characteristics and internalizing symptoms to different forms of hypothetical risk-taking behavior.

ADHD characteristics were robustly associated with negative risk-taking likelihood. Associations with positive and prosocial risk-taking were present but weaker and less consistent across analytical methods. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that ADHD traits accounted for a substantial portion of the variance in risk-taking behaviors, while internalizing symptoms also contributed, though to a lesser extent. The likelihood of engaging in risk-taking behavior decreased with increasing age.

Our findings support the emerging view that ADHD characteristics may be linked not only to negative but also to positive and prosocial forms of risk-taking. However, effects on positive and prosocial risk taking are more complex and warrant further research, particularly with clinical samples and psychometrically refined instruments. Our findings may foster a more nuanced understanding of ADHD and could have important implications for self-concept development and clinical care in individuals with ADHD.