Abstract
The types and characteristics of risk-taking or gambling-like behaviors in children are not well understood. Social learning, as one potential etiological factor of risktaking behavior in preschool children, was empirically examined. Prior to playing a risk-taking game, children in the experimental group were exposed to a peer model who had ostensibly won a large prize, whereas control children were exposed to a peer model who had won nothing. Children in the experimental group initiated more risks to win the large prize in the high-risk situation than children in the control group. The results indicated that modeling can enhance risk-taking/gambling-like behavior in young children. Parallels to compulsive gambling in adults, and recommendations for future research were also discussed.
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The authors wish to thank Melissa Warren and Earlene Goodman for their valuable assistance during the course of this study.
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Kearney, C.A., Drabman, R.S. Risk-taking/gambling-like behavior in preschool children. J Gambling Stud 8, 287–297 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01014654
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01014654