%0 Journal Article
%T Predictors of children's and adolescents' risk perception
%J Journal of pediatric psychology
%D 2005
%A Greening, Leilani
%A Stoppelbein, Laura
%A Chandler, C. C.
%A Elkin, T. David
%V 30
%N 5
%P 425-435
%X OBJECTIVE: To test cognitive-developmental, social-cognitive, motivational, and cognitive hypotheses about the psychological mechanisms underlying children's risk perception. METHOD: Youth (N = 1315) ranging from 9 to 17 years of age completed measures assessing adolescent egocentrism, personal experience with four negative health events, how much they worried about the health events, and their perceived skill for event-related activities. The measures were completed twice, 12 months apart. RESULTS: Lacking personal experience with and worrying less about health threats were significant predictors of more optimistically biased risk perception a year later. CONCLUSIONS: The lack of experience with and not worrying about serious health consequences may desensitize children to potential health risks. Clinical applications for health education programs are discussed.
%G 
%I Oxford University Press
%@ 0146-8693
%U http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jpepsy/jsi066