The relevance of this research lies in the critical need to uncover the psychological foundations and contextual elements that influence how individuals form different Attitude to dangers. This investigation specifically sought to examine the associations between the Behavioral Activation System (BAS), Behavioral Inhibition System (BIS), and personality traits, and how these variables collectively shape students' perceptions and responses to potentially threatening situations. The sample consisted of 327 university students enrolled in institutions across Moscow, Cherepovets, and Ivanovo in the Russian Federation. Of these participants, 60 were male and 267 female, with a mean age of 20 years (SD = 2.17). To collect data, several standardized and author-developed instruments were employed. These included customized questionnaires aimed at evaluating individuals’ threat sensitivity and preferred reaction strategies in dangerous contexts; the Carver-White BAS/BIS scale for assessing behavioral activation and inhibition tendencies; a localized version of the Five-factor model of personality questionnaire as adapted by L. F. Burlachuk and D. K. Korolev; and the “Adaptability” questionnaire by Maklakov-Chermyanin, with particular emphasis on the Moral normativity scale. Analytical procedures relied on correlation analysis to interpret the relationships among variables.
Findings indicated that a balanced and appropriate Attitude to dangers correlated positively with specific personality characteristics—namely, openness to experience, benevolence, and normativity of behavior. Conversely, tendencies to either overestimate or underestimate threats were primarily linked to neuropsychological traits associated with BIS and BAS. These insights offer practical applications in the design of safety protocols across various domains, as well as in educational frameworks aimed at equipping both youth and adults with effective strategies for coping with hazardous situations.
