This study evaluates the relationship between academic risk taking and chemistry laboratory anxiety using a relational scanning model. The research sample consisted of 127 undergraduate students (sophomores, juniors and seniors) in the Chemistry Teaching Department at Dicle University. This research was done in the spring semester of the 2012 to 2013 academic year. The Chemistry Laboratory Anxiety Scale, developed by Bowen (1999) and adapted into Turkish by Azizoglu and Uzuntiryaki (2006), was used to measure students' levels of chemistry laboratory anxiety. The Scale of Academic Risk Taking, developed by Clifford (1991) and adapted into Turkish by Korkmaz (2002), was used to measure students' levels of academic risk taking. The relationship between chemistry laboratory anxiety and academic risk taking was examined using a structural regression model. It was found that academic risk taking explained 39% of the total variance in the chemistry laboratory anxiety scores. This study aims to contribute to the chemistry education literature and to guide chemistry teachers.