Chapter 18 (LeUnes): High-Risk Sports

Sport PsychOct 26-28, 2009Classes #25-26

Extreme Sports

Extreme sports is a media term for certain activities perceived as having a high level of inherent danger

These activities often involve speed, height, high level of physical exertion, highly specialized gear or spectacular stunts

At present date, there are no academic research studies or statistics of deaths to separate activities with low or normal level of danger from those with high level of danger

It is instead used as a marketing term in promoting events such as the X Games

Characteristics of Extreme Sports

Tend to have a younger-than-average target demographic

Extreme sports are rarely sanctioned by schools

Extreme sports tend to be more solitary than traditional sports

Beginning extreme athletes tend to work on their craft without the guidance of a coach Some may hire a coach later

Sensation Seeking Marvin Zuckerman

Defined “sensation seeking” as "a trait describing the tendency to seek novel, varied, complex, and intense sensations and experiences and the willingness to take risks for the sake of the experience" (1971)

These people want to avoid boredom at all costs

Zuckerman (1984)

Skydivers are characterized with both higher sensation seeking ambitions and a search for thrilling experiences, than most other partakers of other risky activities

It is claimed that high sensation seekers believe risks to be not as great as do low sensation seekers

The sensations are also valued less by the low sensation seeker

An earlier view of psychologists in the late fifties was that skydivers had an inherent death wish

Sensation Seeking Scales

Four ScalesThrill & Adventure Seeking TAS)Experience Seeking (ES)Disinhibition (DIS)Boredom Susceptibility (BS)

Thrill & Adventure Seeking Thrill & Adventure Seeking (TA)(TA)

A desire to engage in activities involving elements of speed or danger

This adventure-seeker This adventure-seeker apparently was not apparently was not

arrested...arrested...

Experience Seeking

Associating with unusual people

A liking of arousing music and art

The use of alcohol and drugs

Exhibitionism

DisinhibitionDisinhibition

Expresses a Expresses a

hedonistichedonistic

philosophy; heavyphilosophy; heavy

““social drinking”,social drinking”,

variety in sexualvariety in sexual

partners, wild partners, wild

parties and parties and gambling.gambling.

Boredom SusceptibilityBoredom Susceptibility

A dislike of A dislike of repetition, routine repetition, routine work, predictable, work, predictable,

dull or boring dull or boring people.people.

A preference for A preference for exciting people and exciting people and

variety; a variety; a restlessness when restlessness when

things are things are unchangingunchanging..

Age and Sex Differences

Men generally score higher than women on the total score and on all the subscales except Experience Seeking

Scores increase during childhood, peak in the late teens or early twenties, and thereafter decrease steadily with age.

Early Sensation Early Sensation SeekingSeeking

Identified in children Identified in children as young as 2 years of as young as 2 years of ageage quicker to reach for quicker to reach for

and react to new toys and react to new toys and soundsand sounds

chose more intense toyschose more intense toys more likely to exploremore likely to explore more likely to take more likely to take

physical risksphysical risks

Total Sensation SeekingTotal Sensation Seeking

This OR THIS?

Evolutionary PerspectiveEvolutionary Perspective High Sensation SeekingHigh Sensation Seeking

Access to new potential food sources and Access to new potential food sources and matesmates

Exploration & hunting behaviorExploration & hunting behavior Increased dangerIncreased danger

Low Sensation SeekingLow Sensation Seeking Safety of familiar terrain, foods, & animal Safety of familiar terrain, foods, & animal

populationpopulation Exhaustion of food supply and reduction of Exhaustion of food supply and reduction of

reproductive varietyreproductive variety Increased safetyIncreased safety

High vs Low on the SSSHigh vs Low on the SSS High SSHigh SS Seek ThrillsSeek Thrills DisorderlyDisorderly UnpredictableUnpredictable Intolerant of structureIntolerant of structure Spend on impulseSpend on impulse Varied interestsVaried interests Easily boredEasily bored High energyHigh energy LeaderLeader Decisions based on Decisions based on

intuitionintuition

Low SSLow SS Seek PredictabilitySeek Predictability OrderlyOrderly CautiousCautious Enjoy simple pleasuresEnjoy simple pleasures Reliable, dependableReliable, dependable Easily entertainedEasily entertained Prefer routinePrefer routine More reservedMore reserved CalmCalm FrugalFrugal Decisions based on Decisions based on

valuesvalues

Risky BehaviorRisky Behavior High SS have more accidents when drivingHigh SS have more accidents when driving

Sensation seeking has been shown to correlate Sensation seeking has been shown to correlate highly with accident involvement especially when highly with accident involvement especially when paired with aggressivenesspaired with aggressiveness

Positive correlation between SS and driving SpeedPositive correlation between SS and driving Speed Gambling & other financial risksGambling & other financial risks PromiscuityPromiscuity

Risky Behaviors - Drugs Risky Behaviors - Drugs and Alcoholand Alcohol

High sensation-seeking teens are about High sensation-seeking teens are about three times more likely than low three times more likely than low sensation-seeking teens to experiment sensation-seeking teens to experiment with illicit drugs.with illicit drugs.

Sensation Seekers tendency to try out Sensation Seekers tendency to try out new things first extends to sex, alcohol, new things first extends to sex, alcohol, inhalants, marijuana and other drugs — inhalants, marijuana and other drugs — they often like the novelty of feeling they often like the novelty of feeling drunk or high. drunk or high.

RelationshipsRelationships People with similar scores People with similar scores

on the Sensation Seeking on the Sensation Seeking Scale tend to be more Scale tend to be more romantically compatible romantically compatible with each other.with each other.

High SS Seekers tend to High SS Seekers tend to see love as a game see love as a game without strong without strong commitmentcommitment

Low SS consider the long-Low SS consider the long-term potential of partners term potential of partners rather than just their rather than just their current arousal valuecurrent arousal value

RelationshipsRelationships The best combination is two people low The best combination is two people low

in sensation seeking. They're happy in sensation seeking. They're happy with each other and don't become with each other and don't become habituated to each other,habituated to each other,

Two high sensation seekers are OK for Two high sensation seekers are OK for a while, but even though their partner a while, but even though their partner might be exciting, they are looking for might be exciting, they are looking for variety everywhere.variety everywhere.

The worst combination is high-low, The worst combination is high-low, because they just don't understand because they just don't understand each other's interests.each other's interests.

RelationshipsRelationships Over all, high SS exhibit less Over all, high SS exhibit less

relationship satisfaction than low relationship satisfaction than low SS and are more likely to divorceSS and are more likely to divorce

Divorced males score higher in SS Divorced males score higher in SS than single and married males, than single and married males, and divorced and single females and divorced and single females score higher than married score higher than married females.females.

Psychology Today, Sep/Oct. 2004Psychology Today, Sep/Oct. 2004

Is there a connection between sensation seekers and psychopaths?

Impulsive Unsocialized Sensation Seeking Zuckerman feels that those very high on sensation

seeking may lack the capacity to inhibit behavior that might be detrimental to society

Trouble inhibiting impulsive action Thrills at all costs regardless of the consequences to

others High sensation seekers are less tolerant of sensory

deprivation and they require much stimulation to get to optimal level of arousal

Mountaineering/Rock Climbing

Robinson (1985) Rock-climbers score high

Levenson (1990) Rock-climbers scored higher than drug

offenders Rossi and Cereatti (1993)

Mountain athletes score higher than controls except on BS

Scuba Diving Deaths

Insufficient Gas: 14% Rough Seas/Strong Current:

10% Natural Disease: 9% Entrapment: 9% Equipment Problems: 8% Could Not be Determined: 20%

European Hang Gliding & Paragliding Union

Hang Gliders weigh 20 to 40 kg. Flexible wings are steered by pilot weight shift.

European Hang Gliding & Paragliding Union

Rigid wings have in addition steering flaps. Max speed up to 120 km/h, glide ratio up to 1 : 16.

European Hang Gliding & Paragliding Union

Paraglider are steered by brake lines. Max speed up to 60 km/h, glide ratio up to 1:8.

European Hang Gliding & Paragliding Union

Hang Glider and Paraglider Pilots take off by running down mountain slopes or by winch towing.

For Hang Gliding aero towing by UL is possible.

Skydiving/Sport Parachuting

USPA (2006) About 30 fatalities per year

Westman and Bjornstig (2005) Student skydivers at highest risk

See You In The Sky

Slide out of the plane at 9,000 feet. Pull Rip Cord at 4,500 feet There is a gauge on wrist that shows

your altitude. 6-7 minutes in air doing 720’s by

steering with cords on side of parachute in each hand to steer .

Credits

Some of the slides in this presentation prepared with the assistance of the following web sites: http://www.austincollege.edu/Attachments/SensationSeeki

ng.ppt#287,4,Definition http://www.emf.nanco.no/new/HangParagliding

%20presentation.ppt#259,5,Slide 5 http://uhaweb.hartford.edu/mphilo/

skydiving.ppt#262,7,See You In The Sky