Understanding Risk-Seeking Behaviors In Boys And Men

Research suggests that boys and men tend to be more likely to engage in risk-seeking behaviors, which can be positive or negative, depending on the consequences. In some settings, taking a risk might yield meaningful, long-term rewards. However, in other cases, impulsive risks can cause emotional and physical damage to risk-takers and those around them.

In this article, we’ll explore the science of risky behaviors and how boys and men may be uniquely influenced by messaging about risk-taking and more likely to take dangerous risks.

What is risk-taking behavior?

The American Psychological Association (APA) defines risk-taking behaviors in two ways. In one context, risk is defined as a “pattern of unnecessary activities or behaviors that are dangerous and highly subject to chance.” Examples include:

• Substance use

• Risky sexual behaviors, such as unprotected sex, which can lead to sexually transmitted diseases

• Gambling

• Extreme sports

• Dangerous driving

In contrast to these spontaneous and often reckless behaviors, risk-taking can also be calculated, thoughtful, and healthy. The APA alternatively defines risk-taking as “accepting a challenging task that simultaneously involves potential for failure as well as for accomplishment or personal benefit.” Risky, challenging tasks may be associated with creativity, career, or education.

Examples of potentially beneficial risks might include:

• Asking for a raise

• Trying a new sport

• Meeting new people at a volunteering event

• Running for a local political office

• Returning to school for further education

Gender differences in risk-taking behaviors

The science of risk-taking and gender is nuanced since risk-taking behaviors, like other behaviors, are thought to stem from a complex interaction of environmental and biological factors that can be difficult to separate. Nonetheless, some researchers have explored gender differences in risky behavior and discovered some answers.

According to the Harvard Business Review, men tend to take more risks when under stress, while women tend to take fewer risks when stressed. Some researchers explain this as hormonal differences affecting brain activity: more specifically, how hormones may affect how we compute risk and prepare for action.

Beyond the brain, there is a cultural perception that women are risk-averse. However, a 2022 study published in Psychology of Women Quarterly found no evidence for gender differences in risk-taking at work when men and women faced the same consequences, which conflicts with past studies highlighting men as risk-takers. 

Also, some research may have focused too much on risky behaviors traditionally associated with men. For example, a man may be more likely to risk riding a motorcycle without a helmet. However, women may be more willing than men to engage in other high-risk behaviors, such as horseback riding.

Ultimately, your comfort level with risk may depend on your genes, your upbringing, and your unique psychology, including certain personality traits. Researchers are still studying the varying influence of these factors on risk-taking behaviors.

Why some men take more risks

While not every man is a natural risk-taker, there’s a cultural perception that men, especially young men, are likely to engage in risky decision-making. Next, we’ll look at various hypotheses related to male risk-taking behavior.

1. Young male syndrome (YMS)

Young male syndrome (YMS) is widely recognized by psychologists and defined by the APA as “the propensity of males in their mid to late teens and twenties, and particularly those who are unmarried and unemployed, to engage in violent altercations to resolve seemingly trivial matters, to ‘save face,’ to harm a rival, or otherwise to enhance their social status.”

Researchers are still exploring the causes and prevalence of YMS. Current evidence suggests it may stem from the evolutionary desire that men might have to display bravery and fitness at an age when intrasexual competition, the desire to mate, is most intense. This may lead to risky behavior in young adults and adolescents, such as physical fights and other actions that have adverse outcomes.  

2. Risk-taking and environmental influences

A 2019 study found that children’s early surroundings can also shape risk-taking behaviors. The researchers studied children from two ethnic groups in Yunnan, China, with nearly opposite gender norms: one group, the Mosuo, is matrilineal, and the other, the Han, is patriarchal.

The researchers found that Han girls were initially more risk-averse than girls from the Mosuo group. Nonetheless, when children from both groups entered the same school, which was majority Han, Mosuo children adopted the risk preferences of the majority: a greater risk aversion among girls and more risk-taking among boys.

While more studies on this topic are needed, this research suggests the environment has the power to influence risk-taking behaviors.

3. Possible neural differences in risky behaviors

A 2021 study published in Frontiers in Neuroscience found that sex differences in risk-taking may be associated with reward sensitivity in the brain. This may allow scientists to examine risk beyond observable environmental differences.

The researchers stated that participants who identified as male may have been more sensitive to rewards than participants who identified as female. This study suggests that this difference may be related to variability in the strength of theta brainwaves, which may influence sensitivity to reward and the likelihood of taking risks.

4. Risk and variations in coping styles

Sometimes, people may engage in risky behaviors to cope with negative life experiences. Men are more likely to report placing themselves in harmful situations, and their attempts to cope with these events can be confused with traditionally masculine risk-taking behaviors.

In addition, men’s alcohol and drug use is more likely to result in emergency department visits or overdose deaths.

How to take healthy risks

Based on the APA definition of risk-taking, not all risks are bad: in fact, risks can increase our confidence and teach us to cope with the consequences of our actions.

To take healthier, more meaningful risks, you might focus on the following goals:

• Get comfortable with failure. When you routinely take risks, failure is likely inevitable at some point. However, when you bounce back and pursue the next goal, you learn the consequences of failure are manageable and can increase your resilience.

• Build your support system. Friends, family, and other loved ones can form a social network that is the backbone of a healthy, successful life. Strong social support may reduce the likelihood of taking health risks, especially for young men. Loved ones may hold you accountable and encourage you to challenge yourself positively while prioritizing safety.

• Develop your confidence. The key to confidence for some people might be taking more risks. In this context, confidence might be considered a muscle that grows and flexes when we attempt something hard or scary and discover we can succeed or learn from the experience.

Discuss risk-seeking behaviors in online therapy 

If you have questions or concerns related to sensation-seeking or risk-seeking behaviors, you may benefit from speaking with a licensed therapist. A therapist may be able to help with exploring limits and developing strength and self-awareness to move toward healthy risk-taking. 

If you feel hesitant to sign up for traditional in-office therapy, you might consider trying online therapy, which numerous studies have demonstrated to be effective. One study published in Psychological Services found that online therapy was effective for depression, anxiety, substance use disorder, and adjustment disorder, which are conditions that may lead to unhealthy risk-taking. Other studies have found that online therapy is effective for post-traumatic stress disorder and other types of mental illness. 

With an online therapy platform like BetterHelp, you can meet with a therapist from the comfort of home via audio, video, or live chat. Many of the mental health care providers at BetterHelp have years of experience guiding patients through significant life decisions and transitions, giving them the tools and encouragement to take thoughtful, strategic risks.

Counselor reviews

“Whatever I say here, it won’t do justice to the professionalism or Dr. Kevin. He is an amazing human being, on top of his professionalism. He understood my every concern, the slightest details of my worries. I can’t thank him enough for the work he did with me so far. I was almost a dead man walking, and Dr. Kevin addressed my issues so competently to the point that he made me believe that life is worthy of living it when one handles issues the proper way. Dr. Kevin is now a part of my life. I believe that I haven’t been the easiest and the most obedient client he probably had until now. But he made a hopeless man feel alive again. The journey is not over yet for me. And there is no better commander out there than Dr. Kevin, who would fight for you. Thank you, Dr. Kevin.”