Self-monitoring and the propensity for risk

Apart from earlier research on sexual behavior, little is known about associations between self-monitoring and engagement in risk behaviors. Our research verified that one component of self-monitoring, public performing, is related to a range of risk behaviors. We then tested whether the greater engagement of high compared to low self-monitoring individuals in risk behaviors could be attributed to: (a) greater discrepancies between perceptions of risk and reported risk behaviors for the high-scoring group; or (b) higher levels of sensation seeking among high versus low self-monitoring individuals. Data from a sample of 452 college students supported the second of these two explanations. Implications for self-monitoring theory and measurement, as well as for adolescent and young adult risk behaviors, are discussed.