Today’s society has seen a shift in the public awareness of sexual harassment and assault. While this is seen as a progressive and beneficial change by some, others are concerned that the change may create a culture of fear in which innocent gestures can be misinterpreted and individuals feel less free to interact with others in a social setting. Past research on behavior has seen risk-taking as an evolutionary tactic in order to attract a mate or gather resources (Greitemeyer, Kastenmuller & Fischer, 2013). However, risk-taking behavior is also linked to criminal and other deviant behavior, so criminologists have tried to find a way to control and deter risk-taking for centuries (Monachesi, 1955). Recent research has found links between risk-taking behavior and personality traits, as well as sex and peer influences (Turchik, Garske, Probst & Irvin, 2010; Van Hoorn, Crone & Leijenhorst, 2016). In this project, I propose to use a modified Balloon Analog Risk Task (BART) simulation to examine in which social situations individuals are more or less willing to take risks. Are people more willing to take a risk by flirting, or in non-sexually related interactions? In addition, I will determine whether or not the severity of the consequences for unwelcome flirting or joking behavior will lead individuals to take fewer risks in these areas, and if personality has any predictive ability for risk-taking behavior. There will be approximately 200 participants age 18-25 recruited from among Southern Utah University students. These results may be important in influencing different anti-sexual harassment programs and movements at the university level.
