The influence of peer presence on risk-taking behavior in adolescents with varying levels of trait anxiety

Adolescent risk-taking behavior is a pivotal facet of individual growth and development. Although the influences of peer presence and trait anxiety on adolescent risk-taking have been acknowledged respectively, the exact effects remain controversial. Thus, there is a dearth of research investigating the interaction between these factors. This study aimed to examine the impact of peer presence on risk-taking behavior in adolescents with varying levels of trait anxiety. The present study conducted two experiments. In Experiment 1, a total of 97 participants with low trait anxiety and 99 participants with high trait anxiety were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: no-peer, one-peer, and three-peer groups. The Balloon Analog Risk Task (BART) was utilized to assess risk-taking behavior. The findings revealed that the presence of peers significantly augmented risk-taking behavior among adolescents with low trait anxiety, while no such effect was observed in individuals with high trait anxiety. In Experiment 2, the role of peer familiarity was further investigated by recruiting 62 participants with low trait anxiety and 64 participants with high trait anxiety who were randomly assigned to either a familiar peer or an unfamiliar peer condition. The results demonstrated that adolescents characterized by high levels of trait anxiety exhibited a greater propensity for engaging in risky behaviors when interacting with unfamiliar peers compared to familiar ones. However, no significant difference in risk-taking behavior was observed among adolescents characterized by low levels of trait anxiety across the two conditions. The findings enhance our comprehension of the multifaceted determinants underlying adolescent risk-taking behaviors, thereby informing targeted interventions designed to improve decision-making abilities and effective risk management strategies among this demographic.