Motivating risky choices increases risk taking.

We study the impact of the mode of cognition on risk taking. In an online experiment we participants to make a simple decision involving risk by performing the Bomb Risk Task. The control group undergoes no manipulation, while in the treatment we exogenously manipulate the mode of cognition by requiring subjects to write a text that motivates their risky choice before making a decision. Such motivation is meant to induce more reflection upon the action to be taken. Our results show effect of the motivation treatment on risk taking, suggesting that higher reflection subjects more prone to risk taking. The effect is stronger among participants who a limited understanding of the probability distribution involved in the decision task. on these findings, we suggest that reflection and comprehension may be substitutes decision-making when there is risk involved.