Threat to Life and Risk-Taking Behaviors: A Review of Empirical Findings and Explanatory Models

Abstract

This article reviews the literature focusing on the relationship between perceived threat to life and risk-taking behaviors. The review of empirical data, garnered from field studies and controlled experiments, suggests that personal threat to life results in elevated risk-taking behavior. To account for these findings, this review proposes a number of theoretical explanations. These frameworks are grounded in divergent conceptual models: coping with stress, emotion regulation, replenishing of lost resources through self-enhancement, modifications of key parameters of cognitive processing of risky outcomes, and neurocognitive mechanisms. The review concludes with a number of methodological considerations, as well as directions for future work in this promising area of research.

Appraisals, Coping and Affective and Behavioral Reactions to Academic Stressors

“…These data are congenial with studies in the literature suggesting that risky behaviors tend to be elevated following exposure to traumatic events (Ben-Zur & Zeidner, 2009;Pat-Horenczyk et al, 2007;Schiff, 2006). Thus, the present study lends evidence for the effects of elevated threat on risk taking within everyday stressful events such as the case of students' academic stressful encounters.…”

“…Risk taking behavior has also been studied as an outcome of traumatic encounters and as a correlate of PTSD (see review by Ben-Zur & Zeidner, 2009). The present study assessed negative affect and risk taking as a possible outcome of encountering and coping with academic stress.…”

Effects of Terrorism Threat on Economic Preferences: The Role of Personality

“…Although the literature is rich and varied, there is no consensus as to how far the threat reaches and the direction of effects on behaviour. Ben-Zur and Zeidner (2009) highlighted the tension between studies reporting an increase, on the one hand, in risky driving, substance abuse and raised consumption and, on the other hand, the substantial set of opposite or null effects -this may be due to the post-hoc nature of self-reported behaviours and conflation with extraneous variables, or, even, variation in the individual differences of participants in the different samples.…”

“…Terrorism-related behaviour changes have been observed with regards to multiple risk-taking, impulsive behaviours and coping behaviours (see review by Ben-Zur & Zeidner, 2009; for specific link of dread risk to car accidents, see Gigerenzer, 2006). Many of these changes were demonstrated to be affected, or even driven, by exposure to media (Ben-Zur, Gil, & Shamshins, 2012).…”

Getting a Hold of Skitching

“…It is hypothesized that a key motivation for engaging is skitching is the thrill associated with risk taking. Risk taking is defined as "one's purposive participation in some form of behavior that involves potential negative consequences or losses (social, monetary, interpersonal) as well as perceived positive consequence or gains" (P110) [6]. Risk taking is a common cause of fatal injuries in children, adolescent and young adults and recent research suggests that risk-glorifying media increases the likelihood that individuals will increase risk taking behaviors [7].…”