Neuroticism and risk-taking: The role of competition with a former winner or loser

• Published in: Personality and individual differences 2021-09, Vol.179, p.110917, Article 110917
• Main Authors: Liu, Nan, Zhou, Lei, Li, Ai-Mei, Hui, Qing-Shan, Zhou, Ya-Ran, Zhang, Yang-Yang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Circumstantial evidence; Competition; Extraversion; Former performance; Neuroticism; Openness; Personality tests; Propensity; Risk; Risk aversion; Risk behavior; Risk factors; Risk propensity; Risk taking
• ISSN: 0191-8869; 1873-3549
• DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2021.110917

Although many studies have explored the relationship between neuroticism and risk-taking, only a few have assessed the manner in which neuroticism shapes risk propensity under competition. This study attempted to specify two kinds of competition according to former performance and sought to investigate the interaction effect of neuroticism and competition on risk propensity. Participants (N = 134) were defined as high-level neurotic individuals (HN) or low-level neurotic individuals (LN) based on their scores on the neuroticism subscale of the revised Neuroticism-Extraversion-Openness Personality Inventory. In a lab experiment, participants completed a 2-round Balloon Analogue Risk Task wherein they competed against an opponent in the second round, whose performance was superior or inferior to them in the first round. The results showed that HN exhibited risk-taking when facing superior competitor, while they were more risk-averse when faced with inferior competitor. LN demonstrated risk aversion when competing with inferior competitor, and their risk propensity remained unaffected with superior ones. These findings provide evidence that the circumstantial factor of competition can alter how the personal trait of neuroticism influences individuals' risk-taking behaviors.