کد مقاله | کد نشریه | سال انتشار | مقاله انگلیسی | نسخه تمام متن |
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948705 | 926481 | 2010 | 7 صفحه PDF | دانلود رایگان |
Risky behavior in humans is typically considered irrational, reckless, and maladaptive. Risk-sensitivity theory, however, suggests that risky behavior may be adaptive in some circumstances: decision-makers should prefer high-risk options in situations of high need, when lower risk options are unlikely to meet those needs. This pattern of decision-making has been well established in the non-human animal literature, but little research has been conducted on humans. We demonstrate in a two-part experimental study that young men and women (n = 115) behave as predicted by risk-sensitivity theory, shifting from risk-aversion to risk-proneness in situations of high need. This shift occurred whether decisions were made from description or from experience, and was observed controlling for sex and individual differences in general risk-taking propensity. This study is the first ecologically-relevant demonstration of risk-sensitive decision-making in humans.
Journal: Journal of Experimental Social Psychology - Volume 46, Issue 4, July 2010, Pages 605–611