Development of Multifaceted Risk Taking and the Relations to Sex Steroid Hormones: A Longitudinal Study.

• Autores: Jiska S. Peper, Barbara R. Braams, Neeltje E. Blankenstein, Marieke G. N. Bos, Eveline A. Crone
• Localización: Child development, ISSN 0009-3920, Vol. 89, Nº. 5, 2018, págs. 1887-1907
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • Risk taking is a multidimensional construct. It is currently unclear which aspects of risk-taking change most during adolescence and if/how sex hormones contribute to risk-taking tendencies. This study applied a longitudinal design with three time-points, separated by 2 years, in participants aged 8-29 years (670 observations). The Balloon Analogue Risk Task, a delay discounting task, and various self-report questionnaires were administered, to measure aspects of risk taking. Longitudinal analyses demonstrated mostly nonlinear age-related patterns in risk-taking behavior and approach-related personality characteristics (peaking in late adolescence). Increased testosterone and estradiol were found to increase risk-taking behavior and impulsive personality, but decrease avoidance-like personality. This study demonstrates that risk taking is most pronounced in mid-to-late adolescence and suggests that sex hormones accelerate this maturational process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]