¶ … Risk Taking Behavior between Teenage Boys and Girls Significant evidence reveals that women/girls and men/boys have differing propensity to engage in risky behaviors. The difference in their decision to engage in risky behaviors is attributed to the variation in their innate preferences that are modified by internal and external pressure to conform to gender stereotypes. Empirical evidence points that women and men have different preferences and risk attitudes that influence their decision to engage in risky behaviors (Kotchick et al., 2001). Greca, Prinstein, and Fetter (2001) assert that a significant proportion of the studies show men/boys to be involved more in risk taking activities than the girls. However, this assertion has never been proved by a significant proportion of studies conducted in the past. Therefore, this study will aim at identifying the differences in the ability of teenage boys and girls aged 10 and 11 years to engage in risky behaviors.

Literature review

Understanding the difference in the preferences and risk attitudes of men and women and their decision to engage in risky behaviors has been an issue of interest for most scholars over the past. According to Steinberg (2008), the interplay between different factors contributes to the variation of risk attitude and preferences between men and women. Among the factors, include nature, nurture, and/or a combination of the two factors. Huebner & Howell (2003) assert that parental influence plays a significant role in promoting the intergenerational transmission of risk preferences and attitude among men and women. In this case, the authors consider the parental nurturing and home culture to play a role in influencing one's behavior to engaging in risky behaviors. As stated by Booth and Nolen (2012) culture influences risk preferences among men and women in a competitive manner. For example, women in patriarchal societies are less competitive when compared to men. This contrasts to the findings from the matrilineal society where women are more competitive when compared to the men, thereby, the differences in their risk attitudes and preferences. Based on this, the authors interpreted culture as a key influential factor when it comes to risk attitude and behavior among men and women.

In a different study, Steinberg (2004) found that women show high vulnerability to engaging in risky behaviors than men. The assertion of the authors held on the premises that the nurture and/or the inherited attributes influence one's involvement in adverse risks. Available significant evidence reveals that individual's parental attributes shape one's risk attitude and preferences. For example, an analysis performed by Kotchick et al., (1999) revealed that participants who were brought up in families with highly educated parents showed increased likelihood to engage in risky behaviors with risky outcomes. According to behavioral theory, environment shapes individual behavior. In this case, a peer group an individual associates with shapes their risk attitude and preferences alongside their decisions to participate in activities having risky outcomes. According to Huebner and Howell (2003), adolescent boys have a high risk of committing most of the violent crimes when compared to girls with a prevalence ratio of 3:1. However, the high prevalence rate of violent crimes committed by the males diminishes from the preadolescence to adolescence stage. Moreover, girls have high vulnerability to be incarcerated due to their involvement in risky behaviors and minor offenses when compared to the boys.

In a different analysis, Kotchick et al., (1999) identified the existence of topographic difference in the expression of aggression between boys and girls. As stated by the authors, the difference in the expression was largely attributed to cultural and environmental influences on their attitude and preferences towards risky behaviors and outcomes. While the study participants appeared to use a rational aggression, girls appeared to use more verbal, social, and indirect forms of aggression. Despite the above, girls appeared to participate in aggressive and less competitive behaviors when compared to the boys. From this study, the boys were identified to express their aggression in impulsive acts when compared to the girls.

Steinberg (2008) asserts that the variation in the risk attitude and preferences among the boys and girls is largely attributed to the differences in their neurological functioning and structure. As stated by the authors, boys have a large proportion of their cortical area that specialized in spatial-mechanical functioning and verbal-emotive functioning. The specialization predisposes them men to perform most of their activities using the primitive areas of their brains, thereby, their delayed engagement in risky activities. Conversely, girls use a significant proportion of their cerebral cortex to perform primitive activities that are executed by the boys of the same age. However, a great proportion of the brain activity of girls is associated with undesired/negative emotions that occupy the cerebral cortex, thereby, their increased vulnerability to engaging in violent behaviors. Similarly, this increases their vulnerability to engaging in risky attitudes, behaviors, and preferences.

Finally, significant...

Firstly, boys experience early-starting pathway that is characterized by significant levels of physical aggression that predisposes them to violence. Secondly, boys also experience life-course-persistent pathway that predisposes them to a series of risk factors such as attention and social problems. Girls lack such developmental pathways, thereby, the significant variation in their vulnerability to engaging in risky behaviors that have risky outcomes.
My research question

Empirical evidence points the existence of a variation in the risk taking behavior between boys and girls. As such, my observational study will aim at identifying the observable risk-taking behaviors among school going boys and girls aged between 10 and 13 years. The research question for the study would be 'what is the difference in risk-taking behaviors among school-going boys and girls aged 10 and 13 years?' The second research question would be which groups of study participants show more vulnerability to engaging in risk-taking behaviors?

Identification of an article that best describes scientific investigations that will address the above research questions

The most applicable research article that will address the research question for my study is:

Booth, A.L., & Nolen, P. (2012). Gender Differences in Risk Behavior: Does Nurture Matter?*. The Economic Journal, 122(558), F56 -- F78. doi:10.1111/j.1468-0297.2011.02480.x

Outline of the research

Background of the study

The background of this study will acquire most of its information from the literature review section presented in the earlier analysis.

Statement problem

Significant evidence reveals that a great variation exists in risk attitude and preferences among boys/men and girls/women. Factors such as environment, culture and parental upkeep among other factors interplay to influence risk attitude and preferences among men/boys and women/girls. However, contrasting evidence exists in relation to the sex that shows a high rate of risk taking between boys and the girls. Similarly, a significant gap in the empirical evidence that supports sex that shows more risk taking exists, thereby, the need for the study.

Purpose of the study

Risk taking and preference between boys and girls varies significantly. The variation is attributed to the interplay between factors such as culture, inheritance, and environment. Moreover, little is known of the sex that shows more risk taking and preferences. Therefore, this study will identify the group between school going boys and girls aged 11-13 years that shows high-risk taking and preference.

Research objectives

a) To determine the observable risk-taking differences between school going boys and girls aged 10-13 years

b) To determine the group of children that shows high risk taking attitude and preferences between school going boys and girls aged 10-13 years

Research questions

a) What is the difference in risk-taking behaviors among school going boys and girls aged 10 and 13 years?

b) Which group of study participants shows more vulnerability to engaging in risk-taking behaviors?

Research hypothesis

a) Significant observable difference exists in the risk-taking behaviors of school going boys and girls aged 10-13 years

b) Girls show high observable risk-taking behaviors than boys

c) Boys show high observable risk-taking behaviors than girls

d) There is no observable difference in risk taking behaviors between boys and girls

Methods

The study will be an observational study. This study design will be effective because it will allow for the acquisition of objective information from the study participants. The children will be observed in their natural environment when performing different activities such as a sledding hill, climbing walls and those displaying aggression. The observations will be recorded for analysis. The study participants would be school going children aged 10-13 years. MS Excel will be used for data analysis and presented using charts and graphs to create the meaning of the study.