Journal article
How Does Crossing Roads with Friends Impact Risk Taking in Young Adolescents and Adults?
Journal of pediatric psychology, Vol.44(6), pp.726-735
07/01/2019
DOI: 10.1093/jpepsy/jsz020
PMID: 30953567
Abstract
Abstract Objective The goal of this investigation was to examine how crossing roads with a friend versus alone affects gap decisions and movement timing in young adolescents and adults. Methods Ninety-six 12-year-olds and adults physically crossed a single lane of continuous traffic in an immersive pedestrian simulator. Participants completed 30 crossings either with a friend or alone. Participants were instructed to cross the road without being hit by a car, but friend pairs were not instructed to cross together. Results Pairs of adolescent friends exhibited riskier road-crossing behavior than pairs of adult friends. For gaps crossed together, adult pairs were more discriminating in their gap choices than adult solo crossers, crossing fewer of the smaller gaps and more of the larger gaps. This pattern did not hold for 12-year-old pairs compared to 12-year-old solo crossers. To compensate for their less discriminating gap choices, pairs of 12-year-olds adjusted their movement timing by entering and crossing the road more quickly. For gaps crossed separately, both adult and 12-year-old first crossers chose smaller gaps than second crossers. Unlike adults, 12-year-old first crossers were significantly less discriminating in their gap choices than 12-year-old second crossers. Conclusions Compared to adults, young adolescents took riskier gaps in traffic when crossing virtual roads with a friend than when crossing alone. Given that young adolescents often cross roads together in everyday life, peer influences may pose a significant risk to road safety in early adolescence.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- How Does Crossing Roads with Friends Impact Risk Taking in Young Adolescents and Adults?
- Creators
- Elizabeth E O’Neal - The University of IowaYuanyuan Jiang - The University of IowaKathryne Brown - The University of IowaJoseph K Kearney - The University of IowaJodie M Plumert - The University of Iowa
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Journal of pediatric psychology, Vol.44(6), pp.726-735
- DOI
- 10.1093/jpepsy/jsz020
- PMID
- 30953567
- NLM abbreviation
- J Pediatr Psychol
- ISSN
- 0146-8693
- eISSN
- 1465-735X
- Grant note
- DOI: 10.13039/100000001, name: National Science Foundation, award: BCS-1251694; name: Department of Transportation, Research and Innovative Technology Administration, award: DTRT13-G-UTC53
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 07/01/2019
- Academic Unit
- Psychological and Brain Sciences; Nursing; Injury Prevention Research Center; Computer Science
- Record Identifier
- 9984214743902771
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