Sense of security and positive risk-taking behavior among college students: A moderated mediation model

To explore the relationship between a sense of security and positive risk-taking behaviors among college students, as well as the mediating role of life history strategies and the moderating effect of reward sensitivity, a convenience sampling method was used. A total of 1,474 college students were surveyed using scales measuring sense of security, life history strategies, behavioral activation systems, and positive risk-taking behaviors. The results showed that: (1) Sense of security significantly positively predicted positive risk-taking behaviors among college students, with life history strategies playing a partial mediating role in this relationship; (2) Reward sensitivity mediated the second half of this mediation process, meaning that reward sensitivity positively influenced the relationship between life history strategies and positive risk-taking behaviors.