Learned Riskiness

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Abstract
Learning is not always adaptive, particularly where the contingencies maintaining behaviour suddenly and unexpectedly change from being rewarding to punishing. This is a characteristic of a wide range of situations which result in so-called ‘accidents’. Frequently these ‘accidents’ arise out of a process which may be described as ‘learned riskiness’. This process is briefly compared with ‘learned helplessness’ and interventions to prevent or counteract its effects are discussed, with particular reference to driver behaviour and accidents on the road.