LATE ADOLESCENT RISK-TAKING - EFFECTS OF PERCEIVED BENEFITS AND PERCEIVED RISKS ON BEHAVIORAL INTENTIONS AND BEHAVIORAL-CHANGE

To assess the predictive utility of perceived benefits and risks of ri sk-taking behaviors (RTBs) on behavioral intentions and behavioral cha nge, data were collected from 187 male and female late adolescent coll ege students (ages 17-20). Perceived benefits, perceived risks, behavi oral intentions, and involvement for 18 RTBs were assessed at T1 and T 2 (3 months later). Factor analyses were performed on T1 involvement d ata, and six RTB factors emerged: Alcohol RTBs, Illegal Drug RTBs, Ste reotypic Male RTBs, Social RTBs, Sex RTB, and Imprudent RTBs. Regressi on analyses indicated that perceived benefits accounted for significan t variance in behavioral intentions for each of the six factors and Ov erall RTB; perceived risks accounted for significant variance in behav ioral intentions for five of the factors. Similar regression analyses indicated that perceived benefits accounted for significant variance i n behavior change (over a 3 month period) for each of the six factors and the Overall RTB score, whereas received risks accounted for signif icant variance for only one factor (Illegal Drug RTBs). The results su ggest that, among late adolescents, perceived benefits are better dete rminants of behavior change for RTBs than are perceived risks. Both pe rceived benefits and perceived risks, however, are important determina nts of behavioral intentions. These findings support previous work ide ntifying adolescents as ''sensation seekers.'' Interventions should ad dress perceived benefits of RTB, rather than relying solely on promoti ng knowledge of the risks. Assessment of adolescent RTB should continu e to use multi-item measures to obtain a broad picture of the variety of behaviors commonly endorsed by adolescents. (C) 1997 The Associatio n for Professionals in Services for Adolescents.