Contrary to belief, wearing helmets may increase the need to take risks, says study
Posted on: 31/Jan/2016 7:14:31 PM
A study published in the journal Psychological Science has said that wearing a helmet increases the feeling of taking risks and seeking sensations. The study was conducted by researchers at the University of Bath in the UK.
The researchers used a computer based simulation on adults between the ages of 17 and 56. The respondents were told that they were taking part in an eye tracking experiment. They were divided into two groups of 8- each. Half of them were a bicycle helmet and the other half wore a baseball cap. All participants were told to inflate an on screen animated balloon. They were told that each inflation of the balloon earned participation points. They could bank their earnings at any stage. The researchers noted the propensity to keep on inflating for each individual. They correlated this to the likelihood of them taking more risks.
The helmet could make zero difference to the outcome, but people wearing one seemed to take more risks in what was essentially a gambling task. Replicated in real-life settings, this could mean that people using protective equipment might take risks against which that protective equipment cannot reasonably be expected to help, said the researchers.
