It is known that adolescents with mild to borderline intellectual disability (MBID) take more risks than typically developing adolescents. To gain more knowledge in which factors underlies this...Show moreIt is known that adolescents with mild to borderline intellectual disability (MBID) take more risks than typically developing adolescents. To gain more knowledge in which factors underlies this increased risk-taking, this study investigated whether inhibition capacity is a predicting factor of susceptibility to peer influence in adolescents with MBID. To investigate this, a group with adolescents with MBID was compared to a typically developing control group. The sample comprised of 27 completed questionnaires, the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART; in a peer or solo condition), assessing risk taking and a stop signal task (SST) assessing inhibition. Analyses indicated that (a) risk taking behavior increased when manipulated with peer influence; (b) peer effects were not different for adolescents with MBID than typically developing adolescents; (c) adolescents with MBID showed no lower inhibition response compared to adolescents without MBID and (c) inhibition was not a predictor for increased susceptibility to peer influence. Surprisingly, these findings were not consistent with our hypotheses. However, this is the first study investigating the underlying mechanisms for susceptibility to peer influence in adolescents with MBID. Results of this study may serve as key directions for future research.Show less
