Risk-taking and inhibitory control in behaviourally inhibited and disinhibited preschool children

• Preschoolers risk-taking was measured using adapted Balloon Analogue Risk Task.
• Risk-taking behaviour was predicted by inhibitory control (IC).
• Children with increased IC demonstrated less risk taking.
• Higher IC led to more points, suggesting a better balance between risk and reward.
• Inhibited and disinhibited children did not differ on risk taking.

The temperament style Behavioural Inhibition (BI) has been implicated as a risk factor for the development of internalising disorders such as anxiety. Of interest is what factors influence the developmental trajectories of both inhibited and disinhibited children and the development of psychopathology. One such factor is risk-taking behaviour. Using the computer based Balloon Analogue Risk Task, we assessed risk taking behaviour in behaviourally inhibited (n = 27) and behaviourally disinhibited (n = 43) children. This is the first study to examine the relationship between BI, executive functioning and risk-taking. The results indicated Behavioural Inhibition was not related to risk-taking but that inhibitory control predicted reward focused results. These findings illustrate how inhibitory control affects risk-taking and risk avoidance in both inhibited and disinhibited children.