The development of adaptive risk taking and the role of executive functions in a large sample of school-age boys and girls

Abstract

Background: The Balloon Analogue Risk Task for Children (BART-C) demands self-regulation of emotion that requires risk-tolerance and adaptive risk-taking to make good decisions under stress (hot cognition).

Methods: BART-C measures of adaptive risk-taking in 5,409 children K-8th grade were analyzed for improvements by grade, for relationships to executive functioning (EF) and for associations with school characteristics and academic achievement.

Findings: BART-C improved across grades. Boys showed significantly greater Recklessness, particularly in middle school. EF was a partial mediator between grade and Variability and Recklessness. Better BART-C Total score and less Recklessness were related to lower free-or-reduced-school-lunch percentage and better math and reading proficiency of children's schools.

Conclusions: BART-C is a potential "hot-cognition" measure of self-regulation and adaptive risk-taking for children.

Keywords: Adaptive risk-taking; Balloon analogue risk task (BART); Bubblegum analogue risk task for children (BART-C); Cognitive development; Executive function; Self-regulation.