Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

A measure of risk taking for young adolescents: Reliability and validity assessments

  • Published:
Journal of Youth and Adolescence Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Researchers often define adolescent risk taking in terms of individual behaviors such as alcohol and drug use, early sexual activity, and reckless driving. It is not clear whether these behaviors defined by adults as “risky” have the same meaning for adolescents. This paper describes the development and preliminary testing of an instrument to assess risk taking among young adolescents. The six item scale was constructed by asking small groups of eighth grade boys and girls to describe “things that teenagers your age do for excitement or thrills.” The measure was then used in a longitudinal study of 758 young adolescents from three rural counties in Maryland. The scale shows good reliability, as indicated by coefficient alpha and factor analyses. Eighth-grade scores on the scale are associated with the initiation of sexual activity and substance use in ninth grade among virgins and nonusers of alcohol, marijuana, cocaine and pills in eighth grade.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Byrne, D., and Fisher, W. (eds.)Adolescents, Sex and Contraception, Erlbaum, Hillsdale, NJ.

  • Jessor, R. (1983). Adolescent development and behavioral health. In Matarazzo, J. (ed.),Behavioral Health: A Handbook of Health Enhancement and Disease Prevention, Wiley, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jessor, R., and Jessor, S. (1977).Problem Behavior and Psychosocial Development: A Longitudinal Study of Youth, Academic Press, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lewis, C., and Lewis, M. (1984). Peer pressure and risk-taking behaviors in children.Am. J. Pub. Health 74: 580–584.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • National Center for Health Statistics (1984). Public Health Service, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Publication No. (PHS) 85-1232, Government Printing Office, Washington, DC.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zuckerman, M. (1984). Sensation seeking: A comparative approach to a human trait.Behav. Brain Sci. 7: 413–471.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zuckerman, M., and Link, K. (1968). Construct validity for the sensation seeking scale.J. Consult. Clin. Psychol. 32: 420–426.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Zuckerman, M., Bone, R., Neary, R., Mangelsdoff, D., and Brustman, B. (1972). What is the sensation seeker? Personality trait and experience correlates of the sensations seeking scales.J. Consult. Clin. Psychol. 32: 420–426.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Maternal and Child Health, Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health, USA

    Cheryl S. Alexander (Associate Professor)

  2. Department of Population Dynamics, Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health, USA

    Young J. Kim (Professor)

  3. Department of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health, USA

    Margaret Ensminger (Assistant Professor)

  4. School of Nursing and Health Sciences, Salisbury State University, USA

    Karin E. Johnson (Professor)

  5. Department of Maternal and Child Health, Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health, USA

    B. Jill Smith (Research Associate)

  6. Department of Mental Hygiene, Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health, USA

    Lawrence J. Dolan (Assistant Professor)

Authors
  1. Cheryl S. Alexander
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Young J. Kim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Margaret Ensminger
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Karin E. Johnson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. B. Jill Smith
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Lawrence J. Dolan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Alexander, C.S., Kim, Y.J., Ensminger, M. et al. A measure of risk taking for young adolescents: Reliability and validity assessments. J Youth Adolescence 19, 559–569 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01537176

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01537176

Keywords

Search

Navigation