title: Propensity for Risk Taking Across the Life Span and Around the Globe.
abstract: Past empirical work suggests that aging is associated with decreases in risk taking. But are such effects universal? Life-history theory suggests that the link between age and risk taking is a function of specific reproductive strategies that can be more or less risky depending on the ecology. We assessed variation in the age-risk curve using World Values Survey data from 77 countries (N = 147,118). The results suggest that propensity for risk taking tends to decline across the life span in the vast majority of countries. In addition, there is systematic variation among countries: Countries in which hardship (e.g., high infant mortality) is higher are characterized by higher levels of risk taking and flatter age-risk curves. These findings suggest that hardship may function as a cue to guide life-history strategies. Age-risk relations thus cannot be understood without reference to the demands and affordances of the environment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Basel rui.mata@unibas.ch.
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mata
authors.affiliation: Center for Adaptive Rationality, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Anika K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Josef
authors.affiliation: Center for Adaptive Rationality, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Ralph
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hertwig
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003469:Culture; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012309:Risk-Taking; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: adult development; cross-cultural differences; gender differences; open materials; risk taking