Measuring Risk-Taking Behavior: A First Exploration of the Risk-Taking Survey and its Associations with (Social) Cognition and Demographic Characteristics

Elskamp, Dessa (2025) Measuring Risk-Taking Behavior: A First Exploration of the Risk-Taking Survey and its Associations with (Social) Cognition and Demographic Characteristics. Master thesis, Psychology.

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Abstract

Introduction: The newly developed Risk-Taking Survey (RTS) aims to measure risk-taking in a general context, for which instruments are currently lacking. Present study aimed to evaluate the reliability of the RTS and to examine associations with aspects of (social) cognition and demographic factors in healthy subjects. Preliminary exploration in a small neurological patient group was also conducted. Method: Twenty healthy participants and six neurological patients completed a battery, including the RTS, Facial Expression of Emotion – Stimuli and Tests (FEEST), Theory of Mind Test Battery (ToM Test Battery), Revised Empathic Accuracy Task (EAT-R), Nummenmaa Emotion Experience Test (NEET) and Trail Making Task – A (TMT-A). RTS reliability was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha and split-half reliability. Correlation analyses examined associations between RTS, the (social) cognition tasks, age and education. Mann- Whitney U-test assessed sex differences. Results: Cronbach’s alpha indicated acceptable internal consistency, but several items were excluded for analysis. There were no significant associations between the FEEST, ToM Test Battery, EAT-R, NEET, TMT-A, age, sex, education and RTS. Only FEEST Fear correlated significantly with the RTS subscale Careful decisions. In the patient group, exploratory analyses revealed significant associations between RTS and FEEST Sadness, FEEST Surprise, and NEET Envy. Conclusion: Interpretation is limited by restricted data variance. Therefore, no statements can be made about the reliability of the RTS. Risk-taking behavior was not significantly associated with social cognition, attention and psychomotor speed or demographic variables. Nonetheless, fear recognition was associated with risk overestimation, suggesting fear may influence risk perception, but may not always lead to accuracy. Exploratory analysis of patients showed that the bodily experience of envy, recognition of sadness and surprise were associated with risk-taking behavior. Future studies should further examine present findings in a larger and more diverse sample.

Item Type:	Thesis (Master)
Supervisor name:	Gelmers, F. and Rakers, S.E.
Degree programme:	Psychology
Differentiation route/Track:	Clinical Neuropsychology (CN) [Master Psychology]
Date Deposited:	06 Aug 2025 07:36
Last Modified:	06 Aug 2025 07:36
URI:	http://gmwpublic.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/5821

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