Those who believe in guardian angels appear to be less likely to take risks, according to a new study. The study, which was published on September 23, 2014 in the open access journal SAGE Open, concludes that although many individuals believe that guardian angels watch over them to keep them safe in a dangerous world, those who truly believe are less likely to be risk-takers.

The researchers involved,  David Etkin, Jelena Ivanova, Susan MacGregor, and Alalia Spektor, surveyed 198 individuals and discovered that of the participants who believe in guardian angels, 68 percent indicate that this belief affects their risk taking abilities.

Although some participants indicated that their belief in guardian angels may make them take more risks, the majority are more opposed to taking risks than non-believers. For example, when asked about their opinion of risky driving, many of those who do not believe in guardian angels indicated that driving 20 km/h over the speed limit was a risk level of two on a scale from one to five, as opposed to believers, who indicated a risk level of three on the same scale.

The researchers said in a statement, “It may be that people who have a tendency to view the world as being risky or potentially dangerous are more inclined to have a belief in personal guardian spirits.”