Title: Study Shows Why Adolescents Are More Likely Than Adults to Engage in Risky and Impulsive Behavior
Headings: Study Shows Why Adolescents Are More Likely Than Adults to Engage in Risky and Impulsive Behavior
Study Shows Why Adolescents Are More Likely Than Adults to Engage in Risky and Impulsive Behavior
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Content: Players either had full information on the value of the prize and the probability of winning it (choices under risk), or they were told the value of the prize but had incomplete information on its probability (choices under ambiguity), or they were not told the value of the prize or its probability but had the opportunity to access further information (choices under uncertainty). Additionally, participants were asked about their real-life risk-taking behavior. It emerged that teenagers were more ready to accept ambiguity and also searched for less information in the context of uncertainty. This tolerance of the unknown peaked around age 13-15 years. Unlike adolescents’ choices in the context of full information, their behavior under ambiguity and uncertainty also correlated with their self-reported risk-taking in the real world. The study findings could also explain why information campaigns designed to educate young people about the risks of certain behaviors—such as drug abuse—often fall on deaf ears. Even when information is easily available to young people, they show little motivation to engage with it. “ If we really want to get through to young people, we need to take these insights into account when designing interventions,” says coauthor Ralph Hertwig, Director of the Center for Adaptive Rationality at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development. “ A promising alternative to information campaigns would be to give adolescents the opportunity to experience the consequences of their risky behavior—in virtual environments, for example,” adds Hertwig. Publication: