Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

A Dilemmas Task for Eliciting Risk Propensity

  • Published:
The Psychological Record Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Risk propensity (RP) is a trait characterized by an increased probability of engaging in behaviors that have some potential danger or harm but also pro>ide an opportunity for some benefit. In the present study, a new RP task with several dilemmas was explored. Each dilemma includes the initial set plus successive approximations for estimating the Indifference Value between a Secure and the expected value of an uncertain Game. The scores showed good internal consistency, reasonably test-retest reliability, and good validity. The risk propensity dilemmas (RPD) task is proposed as an addition to an ideal battery of tasks for reflecting a complex trait that should be assessed from varied perspecth’es, procedures, and scenarios of uncertainty.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • AREND, I. C., BOTELLA, J., CONTRERAS, M. J., HERNANDEZ, J. M., & SANTACREU, J. (2003). A betting dice test to study the interactive style of risk-taking behavior. The Psychological Record, 53, 217–230.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • BECHARA, A. (2003). Risky business: emotion, decision-making and addiction. Journal of Gambling Studies, 19, 23–51.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • BENJAMIN, A. M., & ROBBINS, S. J. (2007). The role of framing effects in performance on the balloon analogue risk task (Bart). Personality and Individual Differences, 43, 221–230.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • BOSTIC, R., HERRNSTEIN, R. J., & LUCE, R. D. (1990). The effect on the preference-reversal phenomenon of using choice indifferences. Journal of Economic Behavior, 13, 193–212.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • CATTELL, R.B., & WARBURTON, E.W. (1967). Objective personality and motivation Tests. Urbana: University of Illinois Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • EYSENCK, H. J., & EYSENCK, S. B. G. (1998). Eysenck Personality Scales. Kent: Hooder & Stoughton.

    Google Scholar 

  • GROL, R., WHITEFIELD M., DE MAESENEER, J., & MOKKINK, H. (1990). Attitudes to risk taking in medical decision making among British, Dutch and Belgian general practitioners. British Journal of General Practice, 40, 134–136.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • HARRISON, J. D., YOUNG, J. M., BUTOW, P., SALKELD, G., & SOLOMON, M. J. (2005). Is it worth the risk? A systematic review of instruments that measure risk propensity for use in the health setting. Social Science & Medicine, 60(6), 1385–1396.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • HERNANDEZ, J. M. (2000). La personalidad. Madrid: Biblioteca Nueva.

    Google Scholar 

  • HUNDLEBY, J. D. (1973). The measurement of personality by objective tests. In P. Kline (Ed.), New approaches in psychological measurements. New York: John Wiley & Sons.

    Google Scholar 

  • JACKSON, D. N., & MESSICK, S. (1967). Response styles and the assessment of psychopathology. In D.N. Jackson & S. Messick (Eds.). Problems in human assessment (pp. 541–555). New York: McGraw-Hill.

    Google Scholar 

  • KAHNEMAN, D., & TVERSKY, A. (1979). Prospect theory: An analysis of decision under risk. Econometrica, 47, 263–291.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • KOGAN, N., & WALLACH, M. A. (1964). Risk-taking: A study in cognition and personality. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston.

    Google Scholar 

  • KUBINGER, K. D. (2002). Psychology’s challenge when personality questionnaires are applied for individual assessment. Psychology Science, 44, 3–9.

    Google Scholar 

  • KUHBERGER, A. (1998). The influence of framing on risky decision: A meta-analysis. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 75, 23–55.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • LEIGH, B. C. (1999). Peril, chance, and adventure: Concepts of risk, alcohol use, and risky behavior in young adults. Addiction, 94, 371–383.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • LEJUEZ, C. W., READ, J. P., KAHLER, C. W., RICHARDS J. N., RAMSEY, S. E., STUART, G. L., STRONG, D. L., & BROWN, R. A. (2002). Evaluation of a behavioral measure of risk taking: The ballon analogue risk task (Bart). Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, 8, 75–84.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • LICHTENSTEIN, S. & SLOVIC, P. (1971). Reversals of preference between bids and choices in gambling decisions. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 89, 46–55.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • NICHOLSON, N., SOANE, E., FENTON-O’CREEVY, M., & WILLIAM, P. (2004). Personality and domain-specific risk taking. Journal of Risk Research, 8, 157–176.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • ONES, D. S., VISWESVARAN, C., & REISS, A.D. (1996). The role of social desirability in personality testing for personnel selection: The red herring. Journal of Applied Psychology, 81, 660–679.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • PERVIN, L. A. (1996). The Science of Personality. New York: Wiley & Sons.

    Google Scholar 

  • RUBIO, V.J., HERNANDEZ, J.M., ZALDIVAR, F., MARQUEZ, M.O., & Santacreu (submitted). Can we predict risk-taking behavior? Two behavioral tests for predicting guessing tendencies in a multiple choice test.

  • RUBIO, V. J., SANTACREU, J., & HERNANDEZ, J. M. (2004). The objective assessment of personality: An alternative to self-report based assessment. Anâlisis y Modificacion de Conducta, 30, 827–840.

    Google Scholar 

  • RUBIO, V. J., SANTACREU, J., & HERNANDEZ, J. M. (2006). Die Erfassung der individuellen risikotendenz mit objektiver persönlichkeitstests. In T.M. Ortner, R. Proyer & K.D. Kubinger (Eds.) Objektiver Personlichkeitstest. Bern: Hans Huber.

    Google Scholar 

  • SANTACREU, J., RUBIO, V. J., & HERNANDEZ, J. M. (2006). The objective assessment of personality: Cattell’s T-data revisited and more. Psychology Science, 48, 53–68.

    Google Scholar 

  • SANTE, L., & SANTACREU, J. (2001). La eficacia (o la suerte) como moduladora del estilo interactivo tendencia al riesgo. Acta Comportamentalia, 9, 163–188.

    Google Scholar 

  • SITKIN, S. B., & WEINGART, L. R. (1995). Determinants of risky decision-making behavior: A test of the mediating role of risk perceptions and propensity. Academy Management Journal, 38, 1573–1592.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • SKEEL, R.L., NEUDECKER, J., PILARSKI, C., & PYTLAK, K. (2006). The utility of personality variables and behaviorally-based measures in the prediction of risk-taking behavior. Personality and Individual Differences, 43, 203–214.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • SKINNER, N. S. F. & HOWARTH, E. (1975). Cross media independence of questionnaire and objective test personality factors. Multivariate Behavioral Research, 8, 23–40

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • SLOVIC, P. (1962). Convergent validation of risk taking measures. Journal of Abnormal Social Psychology, 65, 68–71.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • TVERSKY, A., & KAHNEMAN, D. (1981). The framing of decisions and the psychology of choice. Science, 211, 453–458.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • VIGIL-COLET, A. (2007). Impulsivity and decision making in the balloon analogue risk-taking task. Personality and Individual Differences, 43, 37–45.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • VISWESVARAN, C., & ONES, D.S (1999). Meta-analyses of fakability estimates: Implications for personality measurement. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 59, 197–210.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • WEBER, E. U., BLAIS, A., & BETZ, N. E. (2002). A domain-specific risk-attitude scale: measuring risk perception and risk behaviors. Journal of Behavioral Decision Making, 15, 263–290.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • ZUCKERMAN, M. (1994). Behavioral expressions and biosocial bases of sensation seeking scales. New York: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria de Cantoblanco, c/Ivan Pavlov, 6, 28049, Madrid, Spain

    Juan Botella, María Narváez, Agustín Martímez-Molina, Víctor J. Rubio & José Santacreu

Authors
  1. Juan Botella
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. María Narváez
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Agustín Martímez-Molina
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Víctor J. Rubio
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. José Santacreu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Juan Botella.

Additional information

The present research received financial support from the project AENA-UAM/785001. We are grateful to Jim Juola and two anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Botella, J., Narváez, M., Martímez-Molina, A. et al. A Dilemmas Task for Eliciting Risk Propensity. Psychol Rec 58, 529–546 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03395636

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03395636

Search

Navigation