Journal of Pediatric Psychology 23(1) pp. 33-43, 1998
© 1998 Society of Pediatric Psychology
research-article |
Why Do Boys Engage in More Risk Taking Than Girls? The Role of Attributions, Beliefs, and Risk Appraisals
University of Guelph
1All correspondence should be sent to Barbara A. Morrongiello, University of Guelph, Psychology Department, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada. E-mail: bmorrong{at}uoguelph.ca.
Objective: Assessed for age and sex differences in school-age children's reporting of injury-risk behaviors, ratings of injury-risk in various play situations, attributions for injuries (self, other, bad luck), and beliefs about their vulnerability to injury in comparison to their peers (more, less, comparable vulnerability).
Methods: We used a structured interview and drawings that depicted children showing wary or confident facial expressions when engaged in injury-risk play activities.
Results: Children's reported risk taking could be predicted from their risk appraisals, beliefs about the likelihood of injury, and attributions of injuries to bad luck, and these factors resulted in 80% correct assignment of cases by sex in a discriminant analysis. The wary affect display resulted in higher injury-risk ratings than the confident display, with this effect being greater for girls than boys.
Conclusions: Cognitive-based factors differentiate boys from girls and contribute to sex differences in children's injury-risk behaviors.
Key words: injuries; children; sex differences; beliefs; risk appraisal.
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  B A Morrongiello, A W Howard, L Rothman, and M Sandomierski Once bitten, twice shy? Medically-attended injuries can sensitise parents to children's risk of injuries on playgrounds Inj. Prev., February 1, 2009; 15(1): 50 - 54. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 B. A. Morrongiello and L. Mark "Practice What You Preach": Induced Hypocrisy as an Intervention Strategy to Reduce Children's Intentions to Risk Take on Playgrounds J. Pediatr. Psychol., November 1, 2008; 33(10): 1117 - 1128. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
B A Morrongiello, M Cusimano, E Orr, B Barton, M Chipman, J Tyberg, A Kulkarini, N Khanlou, R Masi, and T Bekele School-age children's safety attitudes, cognitions, knowledge, and injury experiences: how do these relate to their safety practices? Inj. Prev., June 1, 2008; 14(3): 176 - 179. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
B. A. Morrongiello and S. Matheis Understanding Children's Injury-risk Behaviors: The Independent Contributions of Cognitions and Emotions J. Pediatr. Psychol., September 1, 2007; 32(8): 926 - 937. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
B. A. Morrongiello and S. Matheis Addressing the Issue of Falls off Playground Equipment: An Empirically-Based Intervention to Reduce Fall-Risk Behaviors on Playgrounds J. Pediatr. Psychol., August 1, 2007; 32(7): 819 - 830. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
B. K. Barton and D. C. Schwebel The Roles of Age, Gender, Inhibitory Control, and Parental Supervision in Children's Pedestrian Safety J. Pediatr. Psychol., June 1, 2007; 32(5): 517 - 526. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
B. A Morrongiello and J. Lasenby-Lessard Psychological determinants of risk taking by children: an integrative model and implications for interventions Inj. Prev., February 1, 2007; 13(1): 20 - 25. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
D. C. Schwebel, A. L. Summerlin, M. L. Bounds, and B. A. Morrongiello The Stamp-in-Safety Program: A Behavioral Intervention to Reduce Behaviors that Can Lead to Unintentional Playground Injury in a Preschool Setting J. Pediatr. Psychol., March 1, 2006; 31(2): 152 - 162. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
L. Greening, L. Stoppelbein, C. C. Chandler, and T. D. Elkin Predictors of Children's and Adolescents' Risk Perception J. Pediatr. Psychol., July 1, 2005; 30(5): 425 - 435. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
B. A. Morrongiello, L. Ondejko, and A. Littlejohn Understanding Toddlers' In-Home Injuries: I. Context, Correlates, and Determinants J. Pediatr. Psychol., September 1, 2004; 29(6): 415 - 431. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. P. Kontos Perceived Risk, Risk Taking, Estimation of Ability and Injury Among Adolescent Sport Participants J. Pediatr. Psychol., September 1, 2004; 29(6): 447 - 455. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. A. Dal Santo, R. M. Goodman, D. Glik, and K. Jackson Childhood Unintentional Injuries: Factors Predicting Injury Risk Among Preschoolers J. Pediatr. Psychol., June 1, 2004; 29(4): 273 - 283. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
B. A. Morrongiello and S. Kiriakou Mothers' Home-Safety Practices for Preventing Six Types of Childhood Injuries: What Do They Do, and Why? J. Pediatr. Psychol., June 1, 2004; 29(4): 285 - 297. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
B A Morrongiello Do children's intentions to risk take relate to actual risk taking? Inj. Prev., February 1, 2004; 10(1): 62 - 64. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 V. L Tyc, D. Nuttbrock-Allen, J. L Klosky, and S. Ey An exploratory study to investigate cognitive-motivational variables as predictors of health behaviours in adolescents Health Education Journal, January 1, 2004; 63(4): 293 - 306. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
W. A. Rae, J. R. Sullivan, N. P. Razo, C. A. George, and E. Ramirez Adolescent Health Risk Behavior: When Do Pediatric Psychologists Break Confidentiality? J. Pediatr. Psychol., September 1, 2002; 27(6): 541 - 549. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
B A Morrongiello and K Major Influence of safety gear on parental perceptions of injury risk and tolerance for children's risk taking Inj. Prev., March 1, 2002; 8(1): 27 - 31. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
C. C Chan, J C Y Cheng, T W Wong, C B Chow, B. P K Luis, W L Cheung, and K. Chan An international comparison of childhood injuries in Hong Kong Inj. Prev., March 1, 2000; 6(1): 20 - 23. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 A. Alkon, J. L. Genevro, J. M. Tschann, P. Kaiser, D. R. Ragland, and W. T. Boyce The Epidemiology of Injuries in 4 Child Care Centers Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med, December 1, 1999; 153(12): 1248 - 1254. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|