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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