Examining Risk-Taking Behavior and Sensation Seeking Requirement in Extreme Athletes

Abstract

Extreme sports are sport branches which include actions, adventures, risks and difficulties more rather than other sports. Special materials are used in sport branches such as surfing, kite surfing, sailing, snowboarding, paragliding, diving, mountaineering, motor sports and adrenaline release is more rather than in other sport branches. On the contrary, the situation for being eager to seek excitement and take risks with a view to having new experiences has been observed. It has been considered whether sensation seeking requirement and risk-taking behavior had effects upon each other. The aim of the study was to analyze sensation seeking and risk-taking behavior in extreme athletes. Total 101 extreme athletes including 31 females, 70 males with an age average of 22.03 ± 6.77 participated in the research. In order to determine athletes' sensation seeking levels, "Arnett Inventory of Sensation Seeking" developed by Arnett (1994) and in order to determine their risk-taking behavior, "Risk Involvement and Perception Scale" developed by Siegel et al. (1994) were used. In evaluation of research data, frequency analysis, independent t test, in determination of relation between risk-taking and sensation seeking, correlation test were utilized.In conclusion, significant differences were found in risk-taking behavior, sensation seeking requirement and gender variable among the extreme athletes. In the male athletes sensation seeking requirement and risk-taking behavior had higher averages than the female athletes. Among the extreme athletes, significant relations were determined between risk-taking behavior and sensation seeking requirement. When risk-taking behavior values were high, sensation seeking requirement values were regarded to be high.

Extreme Altitude Mountain Climbing Decreases Sensation Seeking Score and Increases the Anxiety Level

“…Gender could also be another substantial factor in sensation seeking. Among 101 extreme-sport athletes, males were reported with higher sensation seeking score than females (Agilonu et al, 2017). Jack & Ronan (1998) also found General SSS, TAS, and D scores significantly higher on males (Jack & Ronan, 1998).…”

“…Extreme activities are defined as the activities that could give harm to humans and their environment in the natural world (Demirhan, Asci, Kangalgil & Saracbasi, 2014). Mountaineering, which is evaluated as one of the extreme sports, is also considered causing a high level of risk (Jack & Ronan, 1998;Stranger, 1999;Martha, Sanchez & Goma-Freixanet, 2009;Brymer, 2010;Klinar, Burnik & Kajtna, 2017;Agilonu, Bastug, Mutlu & Pala, 2017) and people participating these kinds of activities are always tend to face the risk (Pereira, 2005). According to well-known cognitive theories regarding voluntarily.…”

Relationship Between Sensation Seeking and Risk-Taking Behavior on Mountain Climber

“…Mountain climbing is included in the group of sports associated with risky behaviour with a high level of risk (Agilonu et al, 2017). People who participate in mountain climbing activities tend to face risks when doing climbing activities (Aras et al, 2018).…”

“…According to (Zuckerman, 1983), The need for sensation is described as the need for a person to have different, new, and complex senses (Agilonu et al, 2017).…”

“…They like to be involved in challenging activities and new situations to fulfill their sensation-seeking and hedonistic needs (Guszkowska & Boldak, 2010). Sensation seekers also view that doing extreme sports gives them their joy, even with the most extreme risk factors, they can increase adrenaline which is a sensation for sensation seekers (Agilonu et al, 2017).…”