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Age Patterns in Risk Taking Across the World.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Duell, N; Steinberg, L; Icenogle, G; Chein, J; Chaudhary, N; Di Giunta, L; Dodge, KA; Fanti, KA; Lansford, JE; Oburu, P; Pastorelli, C ...
Published in: Journal of youth and adolescence
May 2018

Epidemiological data indicate that risk behaviors are among the leading causes of adolescent morbidity and mortality worldwide. Consistent with this, laboratory-based studies of age differences in risk behavior allude to a peak in adolescence, suggesting that adolescents demonstrate a heightened propensity, or inherent inclination, to take risks. Unlike epidemiological reports, studies of risk taking propensity have been limited to Western samples, leaving questions about the extent to which heightened risk taking propensity is an inherent or culturally constructed aspect of adolescence. In the present study, age patterns in risk-taking propensity (using two laboratory tasks: the Stoplight and the BART) and real-world risk taking (using self-reports of health and antisocial risk taking) were examined in a sample of 5227 individuals (50.7% female) ages 10-30 (M = 17.05 years, SD = 5.91) from 11 Western and non-Western countries (China, Colombia, Cyprus, India, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, the Philippines, Sweden, Thailand, and the US). Two hypotheses were tested: (1) risk taking follows an inverted-U pattern across age groups, peaking earlier on measures of risk taking propensity than on measures of real-world risk taking, and (2) age patterns in risk taking propensity are more consistent across countries than age patterns in real-world risk taking. Overall, risk taking followed the hypothesized inverted-U pattern across age groups, with health risk taking evincing the latest peak. Age patterns in risk taking propensity were more consistent across countries than age patterns in real-world risk taking. Results suggest that although the association between age and risk taking is sensitive to measurement and culture, around the world, risk taking is generally highest among late adolescents.

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Published In

Journal of youth and adolescence

DOI

EISSN

1573-6601

ISSN

0047-2891

Publication Date

May 2018

Volume

47

Issue

5

Start / End Page

1052 / 1072

Related Subject Headings

  • Young Adult
  • Self Report
  • Risk-Taking
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Global Health
  • Female
  • Developmental & Child Psychology
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Cross-Cultural Comparison
 

Citation

APA
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ICMJE
MLA
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Duell, N., Steinberg, L., Icenogle, G., Chein, J., Chaudhary, N., Di Giunta, L., … Chang, L. (2018). Age Patterns in Risk Taking Across the World. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 47(5), 1052–1072. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-017-0752-y
Duell, Natasha, Laurence Steinberg, Grace Icenogle, Jason Chein, Nandita Chaudhary, Laura Di Giunta, Kenneth A. Dodge, et al. “Age Patterns in Risk Taking Across the World.Journal of Youth and Adolescence 47, no. 5 (May 2018): 1052–72. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-017-0752-y.
Duell N, Steinberg L, Icenogle G, Chein J, Chaudhary N, Di Giunta L, et al. Age Patterns in Risk Taking Across the World. Journal of youth and adolescence. 2018 May;47(5):1052–72.
Duell, Natasha, et al. “Age Patterns in Risk Taking Across the World.Journal of Youth and Adolescence, vol. 47, no. 5, May 2018, pp. 1052–72. Epmc, doi:10.1007/s10964-017-0752-y.
Duell N, Steinberg L, Icenogle G, Chein J, Chaudhary N, Di Giunta L, Dodge KA, Fanti KA, Lansford JE, Oburu P, Pastorelli C, Skinner AT, Sorbring E, Tapanya S, Uribe Tirado LM, Alampay LP, Al-Hassan SM, Takash HMS, Bacchini D, Chang L. Age Patterns in Risk Taking Across the World. Journal of youth and adolescence. 2018 May;47(5):1052–1072.
Journal cover image

Published In

Journal of youth and adolescence

DOI

EISSN

1573-6601

ISSN

0047-2891

Publication Date

May 2018

Volume

47

Issue

5

Start / End Page

1052 / 1072

Related Subject Headings

  • Young Adult
  • Self Report
  • Risk-Taking
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Global Health
  • Female
  • Developmental & Child Psychology
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Cross-Cultural Comparison