title: Only kids who are fools would do that! Peer social norms influence children's risk-taking decisions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The current research examined the impact of peer social norms on the physical risk-taking decisions of elementary-school children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Children 6-12 years of age completed a novel video-viewing decision task in which they observed risk and non-risk child behaviors on a playground and, after each behavior, indicated their willingness to model each of the behaviors in their own video, both before and after exposure to peer-communicated social norms (encouragement, discouragement).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Exposure to peer social norms resulted in significant changes in risk taking, with changes predicted from ratings of perceived social norms and appraisals of injury vulnerability and severity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Exposure to peer social norms can provide another means by which injury prevention programs can aim to reduce injury-risk behaviors among school-age children.
authors: Psychology Department, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada. bmorrong@uoguelph.ca
authors: Barbara A
authors: BA
authors: Morrongiello
authors: Brae Anne
authors: BA
authors: McArthur
authors: Alexa
authors: A
authors: Kane
authors: Reba
authors: R
authors: Fleury
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D003657:Decision Making / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D010379:Peer Group; D012309:Risk-Taking
keywords: children; injury; peers; risk taking; social norms