Document Type
Journal Article
Publication Title
Evolutionary Behavioral Sciences
Publisher
American Psychological Association
School
School of Medical and Health Sciences
RAS ID
70373
Funders
University of Western Australia
Abstract
Sexual selection theory predicts that males, especially in their prime reproductive years, are more risk-prone than females. Risk-taking is a means to convey mate quality or “good genes” to members of the opposite sex or competitive ability to members of the same sex. Therefore, risk-taking should be more common in the presence of potential mates (intersexual selection or female choice) or in the presence of male competitors (intrasexual selection or male–male competition). Risk-taking can also be situated within a life history/ecological perspective, according to which environmental unpredictability promotes more present-oriented and risky behavioral strategies. Therefore, people living in areas of low socioeconomic status are predicted to be more risk-prone. We conducted an observational study on risk-taking in two everyday situations: crossing the road and riding a bicycle. A total of 1,030 participants, 906 road-crossers and 124 cyclists, were recorded at various intersections throughout Perth, Western Australia. In line with predictions from sexual selection, males were more likely to cross a road in high-risk conditions and to ride a bicycle without wearing a helmet. These behaviors were also most common in younger adult males. Female and male onlookers had no effect on male risk-taking, which suggests that norm adherence is a more powerful force than sexual selection in shaping risk-related behaviors. Area-level socioeconomic status was strongly associated with the frequency of risk-taking, implying that environmental stressors can affect risk attitude. Elucidating the ultimate drivers behind everyday risk-taking has important practical implications for risk intervention strategies. The results of an observational study show that young males were the demographic group that was most likely to take risks in everyday situation (crossing the road and riding a bicycle). We also found that people in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas engaged in risk-taking more frequently than people in areas of higher socioeconomic status. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
DOI
10.1037/ebs0000351
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Comments
Goodman, H., Grueter, C. C., & Coall, D. A. (2024). The combined role of sexual selection and socioeconomic environment in explaining everyday risk-taking behavior in human males. Evolutionary Behavioral Sciences. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/ebs0000351