Risk perception, emotion regulation and impulsivity as predictors of risk behaviours among adolescents in Switzerland

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the frequency of risk behaviours among Swiss adolescents and their links with risk perception, impulsivity and emotion regulation abilities, operationalized with the concepts of alexithymia and emotional openness. We recruited 144 subjects (aged 14–20), who completed the Risk Involvement and Perception Scale (RIPS-R), the UPPS Impulsive Behavior Scale, the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), and the 20-item Dimensions of Openness to Emotional Experiences (DOE-20) questionnaire. Findings revealed that a greater perception of benefits and a higher level of sensation seeking were associated with more involvement in risk behaviours, which are essentially socially accepted behaviours. Notably, the path model indicated that the perception of benefits was a mediator in the relationship between sensation seeking and risk behaviours. The results add to the psychological understanding of factors associated with risk behaviours in adolescence. The limitations and implications of these results for developmental theories, research, and prevention are stated.

Keywords:

• risk
• emotion regulation
• alexithymia
• impulsivity
• substance use
• experimentation

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank the adolescents who kindly volunteered to participate in this study, and the principals of the schools. I am also grateful to Stéphanie Haymoz, Murielle Canut, Malika Currat and Delphine Metzener for assistance with data collection.