The Psychology of Risk

Why do we take risks? How does our environment influence us with regards to risks? How do biological and psychological mechanisms interact? How can theoretical works on risk-taking generate effective educational and prevention campaigns? A comprehensive synthesis of current knowledge of risk in the field of social and human sciences, 'The Psychology of Risk' answers all these questions and constitutes a true reference book. This book is organised from three perspectives: psychological, biological and contextual. It presents risk-taking and decision-making theories in the field of general and differential psychology, in order to show how they can explain our attitudes relative to risks. This book then studies the influence of biological, neurocognitive and neuroaffective mechanisms on risk-taking and sensation seeking.