The Role of Behavioral Experience in Judging Risks

This study used conditional risk assessments to examine the role of behavioral experiences in risk judgments. Adolescents and young adults (ages 10-30; N = 577) were surveyed on their risk judgments for natural hazards and behavior-linked risks, including their personal experiences with these events...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Health psychology 2001-03, Vol.20 (2), p.120-126
Main Authors: Halpern-Felsher, Bonnie L, Millstein, Susan G, Ellen, Jonathan M, Adler, Nancy E, Tschann, Jeanne M, Biehl, Michael
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adolescent Behavior
Adolescents
Adult
Behaviour
Child
Data Collection
Experiences
Experiences (Events)
Female
Health Behavior
Human
Humans
Life Change Events
Male
Models, Psychological
Motivation
Perception
Risk assessment
Risk Perception
Risk-Taking
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Summary:This study used conditional risk assessments to examine the role of behavioral experiences in risk judgments. Adolescents and young adults (ages 10-30; N = 577) were surveyed on their risk judgments for natural hazards and behavior-linked risks, including their personal experiences with these events. Results indicated that participants who had experienced a natural disaster or engaged in a particular risk behavior estimated their chance of experiencing a negative outcome resulting from that event or behavior as less likely than individuals without such experience. These findings challenge the notion that risk judgments motivate behavior and instead suggest that risk judgments may be reflective of behavioral experiences. The results have implications for health education and risk communication.
ISSN:0278-6133
1930-7810
DOI:10.1037/0278-6133.20.2.120