Sensation Seeking as one of the Motivating Factors for Performing Skydiving

Abstract

Introduction. For some time, the issue of participating in high-risk sports, including skydiving, has been linked to the trait of sensation seeking, but skydivers do not constitute a homogeneous group in terms of this factor. The aim of the study was to determine the role of the need for sensation in performing skydiving and to examine whether the importance of this factor differs depending on gender. Material and methods. The study included a total of 143 skydivers (98 men and 45 women) aged from 17 to 49 years with different levels of expertise in skydiving. In total, 73 respondents were categorised as novices, and 70 were considered experts. Novice skydivers were defined as having completed no more than 10 jumps in their lives. Expert skydivers were persons who had made at least 100 jumps in their lives and had a licence to perform skydiving independently, without instructor supervision. The need for stimulation was measured using the Sensation Seeking Scale IV by Zuckerman, in its Polish version by Oleszkiewicz-Zsurzs. Results. Since a high proportion of individuals with a strong need for sensation was found among both men and women, it can be concluded that it is an important factor in primary selection in skydiving (when the sport is undertaken), regardless of gender. Conclusions. The significance of sensation seeking as a factor in secondary selection in skydiving (when the sport is being performed) differs depending on the particular dimension of sensation seeking and gender. Susceptibility to boredom is probably a significant factor in secondary selection in women.

Safety at high altitude: the importance of emotional dysregulation on pilots’ risk attitudes during flight

“…This would suggest that the different background implies less safety-oriented training and implementation of performance skills. A further explanation could come from the propensity of this category of pilots for the phenomenon of sensation seeking; indeed, this appears to be associated with a lower perception of risk (Zuckerman, 1994) and is shared by those who engage in extreme sporting activities (Allison et al, 2012;Bołdak and Guszkowska, 2016;Dicle et al, 2018), of which ultralight flight is an example (Blenner, 1993;Wagner and Houilhan,1994).…”

“No Risk No Fun?”: Determinants of Satisfaction with Life in People Who Engage in Extreme and High-Risk Sports

“…It suggests that people who engage in HRS and ES are characterized by higher levels of this feature than individuals who engage in other, safer sports disciplines and those who do not engage in sports at all [ 6 ]. However, more recent research suggests that individuals who engage in HRS and ES are not a homogenous group in terms of their temperament [ 7 , 8 , 9 ]. Kerr and Mackenzie [ 10 ] suggest that these discrepancies could be explained by the individual character of different HRS or ES—some activities last for only a few seconds (e.g., bungee jumping), while others may last for months (e.g., mountaineering or sailing solo around the world).…”