Developmental associations between risk-taking and anxiety symptoms across ages 8–12 years

Jacintha M. Tieskens*, J. Marieke Buil, Susanne Koot, Pol A.C. van Lier

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to JournalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

This study explored the transactional association between anxiety symptoms and risk-avoidance in Dutch elementary schoolchildren (N = 1200; 50% girls) across ages 8–12. Anxiety symptoms were obtained using self-, peer-, and teacher-reports. Risk-avoidance was measured using the Balloon Analogue Risk Task—Youth Version. Random-intercept cross-lagged panel models showed that, across informants, increases in anxiety symptoms predicted decreases in risk-taking. Apart from minor exceptions, this effect was similar across sexes. For peer-reports, the reverse path from decreases in risk-taking to increased anxiety was also found. Overall, this study gives insight into the developmental link between symptoms of anxiety and risk-avoidance which is important for early signaling and prevention as well as for our understanding of the consequences of childhood anxiety symptoms.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2563-2576
Number of pages14
JournalChild Development
Volume92
Issue number6
Early online date31 Aug 2021
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Nov 2021

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This project was funded by the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (grant agreement no 646594); the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research, program medium‐sized investments (no 480‐13‐006); and the Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development, program Youth (no 15700.4001).

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 The Authors. Child Development published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society for Research in Child Development.

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