This study aimed to examine the effects of individual self-control and risk-inducing peer influence on risk-taking behavior in adults. To this end, adults in three-person peer groups who had known each other for at least six months participated in the...
This study aimed to examine the effects of individual self-control and risk-inducing peer influence on risk-taking behavior in adults. To this end, adults in three-person peer groups who had known each other for at least six months participated in the experiment. In the experimental condition, one participant in each group was randomly and covertly selected to act as a confederate to manipulate peer pressure, whereas the control condition was conducted without a confederate. Self-control and risk-taking behavior were measured using the Korean version of the Brief Self-Control Scale (BSCS) and the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART). Furthermore, a moderation analysis using the PROCESS Macro was conducted to examine the interaction between self-control and peer influence. The analysis confirmed a significant interaction effect between the two variables. The results of the simple slope test showed that in the control condition without peer encouragement, risk-taking behavior significantly increased with higher levels of self-control. This suggests that in the absence of external intervention, individuals with high self-control likely perceived the task as a "goal-oriented achievement task" and approached it strategically. Conversely, in the experimental condition where risk-inducing peer pressure was present, risk-taking behavior did not significantly differ regardless of self-control levels. This implies that strong external circumstances, such as direct peer encouragement and social pressure, overridden individuals' capacity to fully exercise self-control, thereby disrupting strategic risk-taking. This study is significant in that it highlights the need to view risk-taking behavior not merely as a consequence of self-regulation failure, but rather through the lens of the interaction between individual self-control and the social environment.