Rock climbers: Deliberate or precautionary risk takers in relation to sensation-seeking

Authors

  • Nicoleen Coetzee Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, Rep. of South Africa. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7642-7308
  • Sonja N. Mostert Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, Rep. of South Africa. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6762-6994
  • Mariette Croukamp Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, Rep. of South Africa.
  • Armand Luijk Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, Rep. of South Africa. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5707-7485

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.36386/sajrsper.v45i2.299

Keywords:

Precautionary risk taker, Deliberate risk taker, Sensation-seeking, Rock climbing, Extreme sport

Abstract

A group of rock climbers were classified into two categories, deliberate or precautionary risk-takers, using the Risk-Taking Inventory (RTI). The aim of the study was to determine if these categories played a role in sensation-seeking behaviour. The study also aimed to determine if the type of risk-taking behaviour correlated with the number of injuries sustained by the participants. The study was quantitative in nature and an exploratory design was used. A sample of 70 rock climbers from the Mountain Club of South Africa participated. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire, the RTI and the Sensation Seeking Scale-V. Non-parametric statistics were used. The results revealed statistically significant differences between the two risk-taking groups on the total score of the Sensation Seeking Scale-V and its subscales of Disinhibition and Boredom Susceptibility. No significant correlations were observed between the RTI groups and the number of injuries sustained. A significant positive correlation was, however, found between the number of injuries and number of years rock climbing. The results indicated that being a precautionary or deliberate risk-taker will have an impact on rock climbers’ sensation-seeking behaviour but will have no effect on the number of injuries these groups sustain.

Author Biographies

Sonja N. Mostert, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, Rep. of South Africa.

Dr. Mostert is a lecturer in the Department of Psychology at the University of Pretoria.

Mariette Croukamp, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, Rep. of South Africa.

Ms. Croukamp completed her MA (Research Psychology) degree at the Department of Psychology, University of Pretoria.

Armand Luijk, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, Rep. of South Africa.

Mr. Luijk is currently a junior lecturer and research assistant at the Department of Psychology, University of Pretoria. He is currently busy with his MA (Research Psychology) degree.

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Published

14-09-2023

How to Cite

Coetzee, N., Mostert, S., Croukamp, M., & Luijk, A. (2023). Rock climbers: Deliberate or precautionary risk takers in relation to sensation-seeking. South African Journal for Research in Sport, Physical Education and Recreation, 45(2), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.36386/sajrsper.v45i2.299

Issue

Vol. 45 No. 2 (2023): South African Journal for Research in Sport, Physical Education and Recreation

Section

Original research

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Copyright (c) 2023 Nicoleen Coetzee, Sonja N. Mostert, Mariette Croukamp, Armand Luijk (Author)

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Copyright of the South African Journal for Research in Sport, Physical Education and Recreation is held by the author/s and licensed under the CC Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0

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