Sharing Student Projects

Adolescents are traditionally perceived as prolific risk takers as they are prone to indulge in reckless driving, binge drinking and unprotected sex. Research shows that adolescent perception of risk is aligned with the norms of their social group and risk-taking increases in the presence of peers, known or unknown. As interaction with peers increases during this time and they become more important in their daily lives, adolescents seek peer approval and exclusion from the social group results in emotional distress. This risk of social exclusion is called social risk and the extent of acceptance they feel in their social group is called sense of belongingness. One of the factors that affects both belongingness and social risk is personality. According to the five-factor model, personality traits can be categorised as openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness and neuroticism. This study aimed to investigate the impact of personality on the concern for social risk felt by adolescents and the impact of their sense of belongingness on it. Extraversion and neuroticism were examined in greater detail as they had stronger links to belongingness and social risk. The target population was adolescents aged 12-14 as they are most susceptible to peer influence. The sample for this study was 105 students from two schools in Northwest England – one independent and one state maintained. After obtaining parental consent and assenting to participate, they were invited to complete self-report questionnaires measuring personality traits, belongingness and social risk. Statistical analyses such as correlation, regression and mediation were performed using statistical software to investigate the relationship between them and identify the contribution of extraversion and neuroticism. The results showed that higher extraversion was linked to lower concern for social risk due to a higher sense of belongingness and higher neuroticism was linked to higher concern for social risk due to a lower sense of belongingness. Also, higher belongingness predicted lower concern for social risk and belongingness was affected by personality traits of extraversion neuroticism and conscientiousness. There is no current research linking personality with concern for social risk as social risk is new concept and this study contributes to this field. By explaining the mechanism of belongingness by which personality traits can influence concern for social risk in adolescents, this study highlights the importance of understanding adolescent behaviour, the factors affecting risk taking and the motivations behind such behaviour. Future research can focus on identifying other factors such as emotional regulation skills, loneliness and environmental factors that may affect concern for social risk in adolescents.

Since following peer group norms may be a strategy employed by adolescents to avoid the risk of social exclusion, this concern for social risk can be harnessed in schools to promote prosocial behaviour in adolescents by engaging with positive peer role models. Interventions in school to promote better behaviour and academic engagement could be advocated by popular students who would wield greater influence over their peers than teachers and external staff. The importance of belongingness in multiple fields should be acknowledged and programs to build belongingness can be implemented. Schools need to provide opportunities to students to participate in different areas such as sport, art, music and theatre to build school belongingness which is linked with better academic performance and lower dropout rates. Social programs such as youth clubs which provide a dedicated space for adolescents to socialise and build skills promote a sense of community belongingness. Parents and carers should be advised about the importance of making adolescents feel valued in their family units as this gives them a sense of responsibility which reduces their propensity for risky behaviours. As children spend a large amount of time in school, teachers are well placed to observe students high in neuroticism and consequently at risk of social exclusion. Interventions can be developed to equip children with strategies for practising behaviours that would enable them to make and maintain better friendships at school and relationships at home and in the community.