Doctoral Dissertation Research in DRMS: The Influence of Birth Order on Risk Attitudes and Behavior

本项目采用实验室经济学实验来探讨一？美国出生顺序和风险偏好，以及风险偏好和实验室之外的冒险行为之间的关系。研究小组将收集有关家庭结构和参与某些危险行为的人口统计信息，包括大量饮酒、吸烟、使用大麻和无保护的性行为。本研究将探讨风险偏好在不同出生顺序的受访者之间是否存在差异，以及实验室测量的风险偏好与自然环境中的冒险行为之间的关系强度。这些实验的结果具有重要的政策意义。青少年的危险行为每年给社会造成数十亿美元的损失，包括当前和未来的医疗费用、执法费用和生产力损失。认识到在青少年时期或某些亚群体中可能导致物质使用开始和升级的因素，这些因素可能更有可能早期开始危险行为，这对设计成功的预防和治疗方案具有重要意义。

This project uses laboratory economics experiments to explore the relationship between one?s birth order and risk preferences as well as the relationship between risk preferences and risk-taking behavior outside of the laboratory. The research team will collect demographic information on family structure and participation in certain risky behaviors including heavy alcohol use, cigarette smoking, marijuana use, and unprotected sexual activity. The research will explore if risk preferences vary between respondents of different birth orders as well as the strength of the relationship between risk preferences measured in the laboratory and risk-taking behavior in a natural setting.The results of these experiments have significant policy implications. Risky teenage behavior costs society billions of dollars every year in current and future medical costs, law enforcement costs, and lost productivity. Recognizing factors that may lead to substance use initiation and escalation during the teenage years or certain subpopulations that may be at greater risk for early initiation of risky behavior has important implications for the design of successful prevention and treatment programs.