The role of executive function and socioeconomic status on risk-taking behaviours in the low-to-middle income context of South Africa

Abstract

Risk taking is a multifaceted construct that can shape our daily decision-making processes. Higher order cognitive processes, specifically executive functioning, underscore risk-taking behaviours, while wider socio-demographic factors, such as socio-economic status, can be related to both executive function and risk-taking. However, the relationship and interplay between these factors is unclear. Accordingly, the primary aim of the study was to investigate how socio-economic status (SES) is associated with executive function (EF), specifically inhibitory control and working memory (WM), and how this association may influence risk- taking behaviour. A non-experimental and cross-sectional study was conducted using a sample of 96 participants, recruited from Johannesburg, Limpopo, and KwaZulu Natal provinces in South Africa. A comprehensive measure of SES was used, drawing on both objective and subjective ratings. Working memory was assessed by the Wechsler Digit Span test and inhibitory control using the Stroop Colour and Word Test. Lastly, a digital task - the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) - was used to assess risk-taking behaviours. Overall, participants presented with good WM abilities but low inhibition. The IGT showed that participants were more inclined to risk-taking behaviours, however they showed a positive shift in decision making throughout the task, with no association found between EF and risk-taking behaviours. Furthermore, SES was not a predictor of EF abilities or risk-taking behaviours within the current sample. Furthermore, EF did not predict risk-taking behaviours. The results of this study are multifaceted and suggest that these constructs are multidimensional in nature and measuring them are associated with methodological challenges. Nevertheless, there is some preliminary evidence to suggest that these constructs play an interrelated role.