How do popularity and preference affect risk-taking?

• Main Author: Hon, Charlene Xue Lin.
• Other Authors: Wan Ching
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2010
• Subjects: DRNTU::Social sciences::Sociology::Social deviance
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/39754
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

We investigated how popularity and preference affect risk-taking behavior. In study 1, popularity of a game was examined to find out if it affects risk-taking behavior in games. Preference of the game was predicted to mediate this effect such that popularity will increase people’s preference for the game which in turn increases risk taking behavior observed in the game. However, the relationship between preference and risk taking was not found to be significant and preference did not mediate the popularity and risk-taking effect found. Study 2 was conducted to find out if certain types of preferences were better at predicting risk-taking behavior. Results obtained showed that preference for reward significantly predicts risk-taking and thus a better predictor than preference for game.