Modeling Risk-Taking Behaviors Based on Brain-Behavioral Systems and Emotion Regulation: The Mediating Role of Perceived Social Support in Junior High School Female Students

Bita Rahimi; Rahim  Davari; Hossein Ebrahimi-Moghaddam

Authors

Bita Rahimi Department of Psychology, Ro.C., Islamic Azad University, Roudehen, Iran. Author https://orcid.org/0009-0006-5252-4561
Rahim Davari Department of Psychology, Ro.C., Islamic Azad University, Roudehen, Iran https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8848-610X
Hossein Ebrahimi-Moghaddam Department of Psychology, Ro.C., Islamic Azad University, Roudehen, Iran. Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5262-147X

Keywords:

Risk-taking behavior, Brain-behavioral system, Emotion regulation, Social support, Adolescence

Abstract

Risk-taking behaviors during adolescence are major concerns for mental health and academic functioning and have adverse consequences for individuals and society. This study aimed to model the relationships of brain-behavioral systems and emotion regulation with the tendency toward risk-taking behaviors, with perceived social support as a mediator, among female junior high school students. This descriptive-correlational study used structural equation modeling and included 318 female students in grades 7–9 at schools in Babolsar County during the 2023–2024 academic year (1402–1403 in the Iranian calendar), selected through multistage cluster random sampling. The research instruments comprised the Armstrong Risk Behavior Questionnaire, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) developed by Zimet et al., Carver and White’s BIS/BAS Scales, and Gross and John’s Emotion Regulation Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) in SPSS version 27 and SmartPLS version 4. Brain-behavioral systems (β = −0.287, T = 5.068), emotion regulation (β = −0.260, T = 4.972), and social support (β = −0.246, T = 4.176) had significant negative direct effects on risk-taking behaviors. The indirect effects of brain-behavioral systems (β = −0.085, T = 3.485) and emotion regulation (β = −0.110, T = 3.688) through social support were also significant (p < 0.05 for all paths). The model demonstrated satisfactory fit, reliability, convergent validity, and predictive power. Perceived social support partially mediates the relationships of brain-behavioral systems and emotion regulation with risk-taking behaviors. Preventive programs focusing on strengthening family and peer social support networks, alongside training in emotion regulation strategies, are recommended to reduce risk-taking behaviors among female students.

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