Citation

Morrongiello BA, Rennie H. J. Pediatr. Psychol. 1998; 23(1): 33-43.

Affiliation

Case Western Reserve University, USA. bethc@pcicirs.pci.pitt.edu

Copyright

(Copyright © 1998, Oxford University Press)

DOI

10.1093/jpepsy/23.1.33

PMID

9564127

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Assessed for age and sex differences in school-age children's reporting of injury-risk behaviors, ratings of injury-risk in various play situations, attributions for injuries (self, other, bad luck), and beliefs about their vulnerability to injury in comparison to their peers (more, less, comparable vulnerability). METHODS: We used a structured interview and drawings that depicted children showing wary or confident facial expressions when engaged in injury-risk play activities. RESULTS: Children's reported risk taking could be predicted from their risk appraisals, beliefs about the likelihood of injury, and attributions of injuries to bad luck, and these factors resulted 80% correct assignment of cases by sex in a discriminant analysis. The wary affect display resulted in higher injury-risk ratings than the confident display, with this effect being greater for girls than boys. CONCLUSIONS: Cognitive-based factors differentiate boys from girls and contribute to sex differences in children's injury-risk behaviors.