General Risk Propensity Scale (GRiPS)
The General Risk Propensity Scale (GRiPS) is a validated instrument for measuring an individual's general tendency to take risks across various life domains. Developed by Dr. Don Zhang and colleagues, this concise 8-item scale provides researchers with a reliable tool for assessing risk propensity in research and applied settings.
Citation: Zhang, D. C., Highhouse, S., & Nye, C. D. (2019). Development and validation of the general risk propensity scale (GRiPS). Journal of Behavioral Decision Making, 32(2), 152-167. https://doi.org/10.1002/bdm.2102
Key Features
- 8-item self-report measure
- 5-point Likert scale
- High internal consistency (α > .89)
- Strong test-retest reliability (r = .80)
- Brief administration time (< 5 minutes)
Applications
- Research settings
- Personnel selection
- Career counseling
- Organizational assessment
- Academic research
Implementation Examples
Research Applications
The GRiPS has been successfully implemented in various research contexts:
- Predicting financial decision-making in experimental settings
- Understanding career choices and entrepreneurial intentions
- Examining risk-taking behaviors across different cultures
- Studying risk propensity in organizational settings
Online Implementation
The GRiPS can be easily implemented in various online survey platforms, including:
- Qualtrics
- SurveyMonkey
- REDCap
- Google Forms
For researchers interested in implementing the GRiPS in their online studies, sample configuration files or templates may be available upon request.
Theoretical Foundation
Definition of Risk Taking
"A person's cross-situational tendency to engage in behaviors with a prospect of negative consequences such as loss, harm, or failure."
| Domain-Specific Perspective | Domain-General Evidence |
|---|---|
| Risk preferences vary across domains (financial, recreational, health, etc.) | Bi-factor model with domain-general factor explains more variance than five-factor model (Highhouse et al., 2017) |
| Risk perception and benefit vary by domain (Weber et al., 2002) | General risk factor found across 39 risk measures with high temporal stability (Frey et al., 2017) |
| Domain-specific contexts influence behavior | Risk preference has genetic determinants (~2/3) (Zyphur et al., 2009) |
| Domain expertise impacts risk evaluation | Neurological correlates linked to dopamine and serotonin transmission (Dreber et al., 2009) |
Item Selection Process
| Selection Criteria | Threshold |
|---|---|
| Factor Loadings (EFA) | > 0.70 |
| Item-Total Correlations | > 0.70 |
| IRT Discrimination Parameters | > 1.35 ("high" threshold) |
Psychometric Properties
Reliability Coefficients
| Reliability Type | Coefficient | Sample |
|---|---|---|
| Internal Consistency (α) | 0.92 | Study 2 (n=295) |
| Internal Consistency (α) | 0.94 | Phase 2, Study 1 (n=352) |
| Internal Consistency (α) | 0.91 | Phase 2, Study 2 (n=327) |
| Internal Consistency (α) | 0.89 | Phase 3 (n=181) |
| Test-retest (3 months) | 0.80 | Phase 2, Study 2 (n=115) |
Factor Analysis Fit Indices
| Fit Index | Value | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| RMSEA | 0.074 | Good fit (< 0.08) |
| RMSEA 90% CI | [0.050, 0.099] | Acceptable range |
| SRMR | 0.024 | Excellent fit (< 0.05) |
| CFI | 0.98 | Excellent fit (> 0.95) |
| TLI | 0.98 | Excellent fit (> 0.95) |
Demographic Effects
- Gender: Men (M = 2.71, SD = 0.89) scored significantly higher than women (M = 2.22, SD = 0.88), t(290) = 4.82, p < 0.001
- Age: Significant negative correlation with risk taking, r = -0.27, p < 0.01
Validity Evidence
Convergent Validity
| Measure | Correlation with GRiPS | Sample |
|---|---|---|
| JPI-Risk subscale | r = 0.82 | Study 2 (n=295) |
| DOSPERT (summated score) | r = 0.63 | Study 2 (n=295) |
| DOSPERT - Financial | r = 0.49 | Study 2 (n=295) |
| DOSPERT - Health | r = 0.46 | Study 2 (n=295) |
| DOSPERT - Recreational | r = 0.57 | Study 2 (n=295) |
| DOSPERT - Ethical | r = 0.35 | Study 2 (n=295) |
| DOSPERT - Social | r = 0.28 | Study 2 (n=295) |
Predictive Validity
| Outcome | Correlation | Sample |
|---|---|---|
| Job Satisfaction | r = -0.20** | Phase 2, Study 2 |
| Job Stress | r = 0.23** | Phase 2, Study 2 |
| Work Withdrawal | r = 0.28** | Phase 2, Study 2 |
| Safety Compliance | r = -0.22** | Phase 2, Study 2 |
| Counterproductive Work Behavior | r = 0.21** | Phase 2, Study 1 |
| College GPA | r = -0.20** | Phase 3 |
| College Subjective Well-being | r = -0.18* | Phase 3 |
| Alcohol Abuse | r = 0.23** | Phase 3 |
Note: * p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01
Scale Administration
Instructions
Below are some general statements that may or may not describe you. Please indicate the degree to which you disagree or agree with each statement.
| Item | Strongly Disagree (1) | Disagree (2) | Neither (3) | Agree (4) | Strongly Agree (5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Taking risks makes life more fun | □ | □ | □ | □ | □ |
| 2. My friends would say that I'm a risk taker | □ | □ | □ | □ | □ |
| 3. I enjoy taking risks in most aspects of my life | □ | □ | □ | □ | □ |
| 4. I would take a risk even if it meant I might get hurt | □ | □ | □ | □ | □ |
| 5. Taking risks is an important part of my life | □ | □ | □ | □ | □ |
| 6. I commonly make risky decisions | □ | □ | □ | □ | □ |
| 7. I am a believer of taking chances | □ | □ | □ | □ | □ |
| 8. I am attracted, rather than scared, by risk | □ | □ | □ | □ | □ |
Scoring
- Sum responses to all 8 items
- Divide by 8 to obtain average score
- Range: 1.0 - 5.0
- Higher scores indicate greater risk propensity
Scoring Example:
If a participant responds with: 4, 3, 4, 2, 3, 3, 5, 4
Mean score calculation: (4 + 3 + 4 + 2 + 3 + 3 + 5 + 4) ÷ 8 = 3.5
Sum score calculation: 4 + 3 + 4 + 2 + 3 + 3 + 5 + 4 = 28
Terms of Usage
The GRiPS is free to use for all research and academic purposes (e.g., thesis, dissertation, class project). In exchange, we ask researchers to share:
- Sample characteristics (size, demographics, country)
- Raw item scores or correlation matrix
- Correlations with other variables (optional)
Translation to other languages is permitted with notification to Dr. Zhang.
For questions or commercial use, contact: dc.zhang1@gmail.com
Scale Materials
You can download the GRiPS in PDF format for use in your research:
Download GRiPS (PDF)Note: By downloading this scale, you agree to the usage terms outlined above.