THE EFFECTS OF PERSONALITY TRAITS UPON THE LONG TERM
INVOLVEMENT OF PARTICIPANTS IN AN ADVENTURE SPORT
Introduction
Discussion
My placement year was spent within the adventure professional community at a dive centre where members
of the public took part in activities ranging from basic Try Dives, to professional qualifications.
As a result of my observations during this placement, I became aware that any individual participating in an
adventure activity will approach the experience in different ways. An adventure experience that participants
undertake for the first time would undoubtedly be approached with a certain amount of trepidation, whereas
an experienced participant would approach the activity with a feeling of anticipation. Whilst on placement I
noticed that participants would complete an activity with varying degrees of success and enjoyment. After
this, they either felt that they wanted to progress their learning and knowledge within the sport, or to leave
that single experience as the full extent of their involvement in the sport.
Within the adventure sport community research has been carried out into the character traits and personal
stimuli of individuals that contribute to either their success within or failure to continue within a sport.
Research has also shown that some people with certain characteristics may have a natural pre disposition
toward a particular sport.
From the experience gained on my placement I feel that the conclusions of the existing research which
attempts to get deeper into adventure sports fits with my observations of the public. The research
conducted upon beginners in adventure sports such as, SCUBA diving and skydiving suggest that an
individual’s character traits will potentially lead to an aptitude to a particular sport, was what I experienced
when following the progress of students through their training.
Review of literature
Since adventure sports have become more available on the recreational market, the general public have
taken advantage of the wide range of sports offered. In recent years there has seen a significant rise in the
number of people taking part in these sports (Howe, 1998). Research papers comment that little has been
known about why people take up a certain challenge. It is of both academic and commercial interest to look
at an answer to this question (Hetland & Vitterso, 2012). For an individual to partake in an adventure sport
for a prolonged period of time and remain committed without tiring of it, it would suggest that there could
be some sort of natural pre-disposition toward a sport. Coetzee (2010) suggests that there are certain
personality traits that can be linked to an aptitude toward a sport. Scuba divers and sky divers / BASE
jumpers are two particular sports that have been researched in depth with this question at the forefront of
the research. Scuba divers have been shown to exhibit personality traits including high self-sufficiency,
boldness and impulsivity, whilst at the same time scoring poorly on conformity, warmth and sensitivity
(Coetzee, 2010). Similarly, Brymer and Oades (2009) have concluded that within the sky diving community
the participants are driven by the continued desire for the personal realisation of humility and courage,
leading to heightened feelings of self improvement, emotional engagement and control (Brymer & Oades,
2009). This information suggests that participants will approach a sport of their choice with the drive to
ensure that they will commit themselves to the activities involved with the required level of attention.
Research suggests that there are some quite modest and internally fulfilling traits that are present within the
sports of SCUBA diving and skydiving. Although the participants in these sports may fit the profile
associated with the activity, there is still a certain amount of anxiety associated with the initial experiences
of the sport. Griffiths (1983) suggests that these participants will be able to manage the physical danger
presented to them, however the emotional anxiety will be the make or break of their enjoyment of the
activity. This will influence the likelihood of the participant continuing with the activity.
In reality, the character traits of the participants seem to be perfectly suited to the initial stages of any
adventure sport. The equipment preparation process and the making ready of the participant to engage
with the activity fit well with the character traits such as being self sufficient, bold, impulsive, and putting an
individual personal twist upon the setup and application of a task, adhering to the low conformity trait
observation. For other adventure sports there also appears to be a link to the personality trait and
emotional link put forward by the research.
It has become apparent that the people partaking in these sports do tend to conform to the theories that
have been suggested by the way that they collectively act within the sport. The research suggests that the
root cause of all extreme sport participation is the chase of an emotion. From having spoken to a number of
adventure sport participants this would appear to be the main answer to the question of why they take part
in their chosen sport. The answers are closely related to the suggestion that “you have to experience it to
understand it”. This concept has proven difficult to research as the participants in the studies are themselves
unable to effectively describe the reasons why they are drawn to their sport and why they feel comfortable
continuing the sport even though the further they progress with the sport, the greater the personal danger.
To this end, it would appear that the research conclusions fit with my observations. However, there may not
be a quantifiable reason that people continue their involvement in a recreational extreme sport.
Conclusion
When comparing the applied aspects of the topic to the experiences that have been described previously it
becomes apparent that an individual does not necessarily have to possess the generic character traits that
are associated with a particular adventure sport or adventure sport in general, in order to initially participate
in the sport. However, to progress practically and emotionally within the sport and to have a long
recreational career within the sport it would appear that participants would possess the necessary character
traits that allow them to become comfortable in the sport. This enables them to appreciate the natural
beauty of the sport and to generate a meaningful emotional attachment that will strengthen and, to some
extent, define the meaning of the sport to the participant.
References
Brymer, E., & Oades, L.G. (2009).
transformation in courage and humility.
Extreme
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a
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Coetzee, N. (2010). Personality Profiles Of Recreational Scuba Divers.
African Journal for Physical, Health Education, Recreation and Dance. 16
(4), 568 - 579.
Griffiths, T.J. (1983). What Are The Sources Of Trait-Anxiety In Scuba
Divers?. Journal of Sport Psychology. 5 (1), 21.
Hetland, A. & Vitterso, J.. (2012). The Feelings of Extreme Risk:
Exploring Emotional Quality. Journal of Sport Behavior. 35 (2), 154 180.
Howe, S. (1998) A Cultural History of Snowboarding. New York: St.
Martin’s Press.
Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 49 (1), 114–126.