2026-05-19 カナダ・ブリティッシュコロンビア大学（UBC）
The virtual playground was divided into four zones. Researchers noted which children spent the most time in the riskiest Zone 4. Photo credit: ViRMA.
＜関連情報＞
- https://news.ubc.ca/2026/05/kids-who-take-risks-at-play-make-faster-smarter-decisions-in-traffic/
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0272494426001635
危険な遊びの発達上の重要性：国際比較による仮想現実研究 The developmental importance of risky play: A cross-national virtual reality study
Mariana Brussoni, Ellen Beate Hansen Sandseter, Ole Johan Sando, Rasmus Kleppe, Megan Zeni, Anita Bundy
Journal of Environmental Psychology Available online: 2 May 2026
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2026.103062
Highlights
- Risky play supports children’s development of essential risk management skills.
- Norwegian children showed higher risk willingness than Canadian peers.
- Higher risk willingness associated with more falls during play.
- Children with higher risk willingness crossed streets more efficiently.
- Risk-averse environments may limit children’s ability to learn to manage risks.
Abstract
Research suggests the importance of risky play experiences for healthy child development, including developing risk management skills. Virtual reality (VR) technology allow for novel research investigating this relationship. Children’s access to risky play is shaped by their socio-cultural context. This study examined cross-cultural differences in children’s risk willingness and tested whether risk willingness in play relates to risk management in non-play contexts. We conducted a cross-sectional study of 424 children (ages 7–11) from Norway and Canada. Participants completed two immersive VR tasks: (1) a playground scenario, assessing risk willingness (speed, exploration of elevated structures, time in risk zones) and failure (falls); and (2) a pedestrian street crossing task, assessing risk management (assessment time, dangerous crossings, collisions). Regression models controlled for age and sex. Norwegian children demonstrated significantly higher risk willingness than Canadian children (B = −0.54, p < 0.001). Greater risk willingness predicted higher odds of falling in the playground task (OR = 1.78, p < 0.001). However, risk willingness was also associated with more efficient risk assessment in traffic (B = −11.4, p = 0.002), without increasing dangerous crossings. Children who engage more willingly with physical risks in play may develop greater efficiency in managing real-world risks without added danger. These findings challenge assumptions that risk-taking is inherently hazardous, highlight the developmental importance of risky play, and emphasize the need to design for affordances for manageable risks in children’s everyday environments.
