OBJECTIVE: To test cognitive-developmental, social-cognitive, motivational, and cognitive hypotheses about the psychological mechanisms underlying children's risk perception. METHOD: Youth (N = 1315) ranging from 9 to 17 years of age completed measures assessing adolescent egocentrism, personal experience with four negative health events, how much they worried about the health events, and their perceived skill for event-related activities. The measures were completed twice, 12 months apart. RESULTS: Lacking personal experience with and worrying less about health threats were significant predictors of more optimistically biased risk perception a year later. CONCLUSIONS: The lack of experience with and not worrying about serious health consequences may desensitize children to potential health risks. Clinical applications for health education programs are discussed.
OBJECTIVE: To test cognitive-developmental, social-cognitive, motivational, and cognitive hypotheses about the psychological mechanisms underlying children's risk perception. METHOD: Youth (N = 1315) ranging from 9 to 17 years of age completed measures assessing adolescent egocentrism, personal experience with four negative health events, how much they worried about the health events, and their perceived skill for event-related activities. The measures were completed twice, 12 months apart. RESULTS: Lacking personal experience with and worrying less about health threats were significant predictors of more optimistically biased risk perception a year later. CONCLUSIONS: The lack of experience with and not worrying about serious health consequences may desensitize children to potential health risks. Clinical applications for health education programs are discussed.
Authors: Yelena P Wu; Lisa G Aspinwall; Elizabeth Nagelhout; Wendy Kohlmann; Kimberly A Kaphingst; Sheila Homburger; Ryan D Perkins; Douglas Grossman; Garrett Harding; Pamela Cassidy; Sancy A Leachman Journal: J Cancer Educ Date: 2018-08 Impact factor: 2.037
Authors: Georgina Mayela Núñez Rocha; Ana María Salinas Martínez; Sandra Angélica Ramírez Hernández; María Eugenia Garza Elizondo Journal: Int Arch Occup Environ Health Date: 2010-06-11 Impact factor: 3.015
Authors: Estefany Sáez-Clarke; Jonathan S Comer; Angela Evans; Ashley R Karlovich; Lindsay C Malloy; Tara S Peris; Donna B Pincus; Hanan Salem; Jill Ehrenreich-May Journal: J Anxiety Disord Date: 2022-05-23