Psychology of risks Flashcards
What is risk taking?
Unnecessarily engaging in behaviours or activities that are dangerous or subject to chance.
Tasks have a potential for failure or success.
Often associated with sexual behaviour, exterme sports and gambling.
What are the key different psychological views on risk?
Social - influence of freinds/ people surrounding you
Developmental - biological changes from birth to death
Individual differences - personality
Cognitive - mental processes
Biological - genetics
Why is ignorance often used as a scape goat in risk taking?
May people claim they did not know about the risks - false
In reality people just do not associate these risks with themselves
Or interpret the risks as less important.
What does perception have to do with risk taking behaviour in adolescents?
Percieved risk v potential benefits
An event may have a high risk, but may percieve this as having a low chance of happening or of being less important that the percieved benefit.
What factors affect our individual perception?
Affect - emotions, and feelings
Cognition - bias and heuristics (learning for yourself)
Context - framing e.g at home, school,
individual differences - personality
What is part of emotional regulation of risk taking?
Interpreting a risk, thinking before it happens and choosing between different outcomes. By..
Appraisal - changing how we think of something (create positive from a risk)
Suppresion - ignoring emotional responses (less scared)
What factors influence what we choose to believe about a situation?
Unrealistic optimism - positive is alway more likley than negative
Availability bias - based on recent events, freinds did that yesterday and was fine
Base Rate neglect - favour specific info, died driving on A1 not A2.
What is Dunning-Kruger effect?
Unskilled individuals overestimate their abilities
Affects congition
What is gamblers fallacy?
Thinking future probabilities are influenced by past events
I was fine last time therefore Ill be fine now
Affects cognition
What is context?
Changes the way information is presented to draw different conclusions
10% fat free v 90% fat
What is meant by locus of control and how does this affect risk taking in teenagers?
Degree that an individual thinks they have control over their life (internal) or outside forces do (external)
Internal control are potentially more comfortable to take risks but may also have more self regulation to avoid risks
What are the five different methods people often use to justify their behaviour?
Health risk perspective - aware of risk, but private choice not worried about this for themselves
Moderate use is fine - could be worse
Counter-evidence - personal or observed, my dad smoked and he didnt get cancer
Compensatory behaviour - smoking but not doing drugs
Lesser evil - i could be doing * which is worse.
How does personality influence risk taking?
Neuroticism - avoid risk
Conscientious - risk avoidant
Agreeableness - risk aversion, want social harmony
Extraversion - more likley to want risk and stimulation
openess to new experiences - more risk taking
How do sensation seeking individual respond to risk?
Less important to aversive stimuli
More focus on potential reward
What are the different traits of impulsivity?
Feeling low so develop a sense of urgency
Lack perseverence so act rushed and without thinking
Feel a positive reinforcement from new stimuli
Encourage to continue to act impulsivly
