Reliability and Validity of the Youth Version of the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART–Y) in the Assessment of Risk-Taking Behavior Among Inner-City Adolescents

This study examined the reliability and validity of the youth version of the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART-Y) for assessing adolescent risk behaviors among a sample of 98 inner-city African American adolescents (M age = 14.8, SD = 1.5). In addition to a relation with sensation seeking, BART-Y responding evidenced a significant relation with a composite of risk behaviors across substance use, sexual behavior, delinquency, and health domains. BART-Y responding also explained unique variance in a composite of these risk behaviors above and beyond demographic variables and risk-related personality constructs, including sensation seeking and impulsivity.