Risk Taking Questionnaire (RT18)
Background
The Risk Taking Questionnaire (RT-18) is a brief, 18-item, self-report screening tool with binary answer choices designed to assess risk-taking behaviors in young adults, particularly among social drinkers and recreational drug users. It was developed by Lydia de Haan and colleagues in 2011 and differentiates levels of risk-taking (low, medium, high) and evaluates two factors: actual risk-taking behavior and risk assessment. The questionnaire focuses on general traits rather than specific daily activities that participants may engage in and is considered a reliable tool with high test-retest reliability (r = 0.94) that is quick and easy to administer.
Task Procedure
Participants are asked to answer 18 yes-no questions. Half the questions target risk taking behavior (e.g. "Do you enjoy taking risks?"), the remaining questions target risk assessment (e.g. "Do you mostly speak before thinking things out?").
Each risk-positive response scores a point. The total score ranges from 0 to 18 points; higher scores indicate higher levels of risk-taking.
What it Measures
The RT-18 is a self-report measure of risk-taking propensity
Psychological domains
- Impulsivity: The tendency to act without thinking through future consequences.
- Sensation Seeking: The drive to pursue novel, complex, and intense experiences, even if they are unconventional or frightening.
Main Performance Metrics
- Total Score: Sum of all individual scores (Range: 0-18). The higher the score, the higher self-reported risk-taking propensity
Psychiatric Conditions
The RT18 has been used on the following groups of people:
- Recreational Drug Users
- Social Drinkers
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
- Suicide Attempters
The RT-18 Risk Taking Questionnaire developed by de Haan et al (2011).
References
Search Google Scholar for peer-reviewed, published research using the Inquisit Risk Taking Questionnaire (RT18).
de Haan, L., Kuipers, E., Kuerten, Y., van Laar, M., Olivier, B,. & Verster, J.C. (2011). The RT-18: a new screening tool to assess young adult risk-taking behavior. International Journal of General Medicine, 4, 575–584.
de Haan L, de Haan HA, Olivier B, Verster JC, & Verster, Joris. (2012). Alcohol mixed with energy drinks: methodology and design of the Utrecht Student Survey. Dove Press.
de Haan L, de Haan HA, van der Palen J, Olivier B, Verster JC, & Verster, Joris. (2012). Effects of consuming alcohol mixed with energy drinks versus consuming alcohol only on overall alcohol consumption and negative alcohol-related consequences. Dove Press.