Motivational orientation and risk taking in elite winter climbers: A qualitative study

Abstract

Objectives: High risk sports participants have typically been viewed as a homogenous group despite variability in performance characteristics and the level of risk undertaken. Prolonged engagement high risk sports such as winter climbing are relatively underserved within current literature. Elite winter climbers attempt climbs that are outside the scope of the current 'known' i.e. unclimbed routes. The majority of the current understanding of motivation in high risk sports is based on quantitative research and the methodologies and instruments used. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of elite winter climbers and gain a richer understanding of their motivational orientation and risk taking behaviour. Design: Qualitative -inductive.Method: Four elite male winter climbers (aged 42-49 years old) took part in semi-structured interviews and explore their motivational orientation and risk taking behaviour. A thematic analysis was used.Results: Two super-ordinate themes of enactive mastery and engendered disinhibition emerged from the data. Enactive mastery was interpreted as a composite of two higher order themes; task mastery and self-mastery. Engendered disinhibition was interpreted as a composite of two higher order themes; social cognitive appraisal and self-perception. Conclusion:Enactive mastery and engendered disinhibition emerged as key behavioural and psychological determinants that influenced individuals to attempt more difficult and riskier forms of winter climbing. Goal achievement was their primary motive which was set within a confidence frame encapsulated within these super-ordinate themes.

Why Do You Ride?: A Characterization of Mountain Bikers, Their Engagement Methods, and Perceived Links to Mental Health and Well-Being

“…They were also slightly more likely to ride more often and in all weather. These findings are compatible with the theory that participants of extreme or adventure sports are capable of matching their skill level to their method of engagement (Llewellyn and Sanchez, 2008 ; Taylor, 2010 ; Lynch and Dibben, 2016 ; Frühauf et al, 2017 ); and they typically ensure that risks are within personal capabilities (Willig, 2008 ; Jones et al, 2015 ). Crucially, these younger riders and downhill riders suggest they experience something pleasurable from the experience of high-risk engagement.…”

“…The mountain bikers surveyed displayed variability in their perception and experience of risk, supporting recent studies (e.g., Jones et al, 2015 ; Lynch and Dibben, 2016 ; Brymer and Schweitzer, 2017 ; Cycling UK, 2017 ). Younger riders were more likely to enjoy the level of risk and danger, view themselves as risk-takers, as well as being more motivated by the adrenaline rush, compared with older riders.…”

“…It is possible that an awareness of danger contributes to the value of the extreme sport experience for some individuals; that the tangible presence of risk adds to a sense of pushing personal limitations, contributing to self-esteem and confidence (Willig, 2008 ; Taylor, 2010 ). Similarly, Jones et al ( 2015 ) argues that facing a challenge on the edge of one's abilities can provide the participant with a sense of gratification and increase self-efficacy. As such, experiencing enjoyment alongside fear may not be as strange or negative a phenomenon as it outwardly appears (Dodson, 1996 ; Lyng, 2005 ; Willig, 2008 ).…”

“…Single activities are also regularly deemed to be extreme across the board, irrespective of the myriad possible ways to participate. A primary consequence is that variability in motivational orientation of participants of extreme sports, and participants' methods of engagement, have largely been overlooked (Jones et al, 2015 ; Clough et al, 2016 ; Zajc and Berzelak, 2016 ).…”

A Qualitative Approach on Motives and Aspects of Risks in Freeriding

“…Using an inductive approach, as in this study, allows researchers to uncover factors that would go unnoticed in a deductive approach (Anderson, 2010 ). Two important strengths of this study are that it both examined a single sport and had a much higher sample size than many previous qualitative studies in high-risk sport (Willig, 2008 ; Kerr and Houge Mackenzie, 2012 ; Brymer and Schweitzer, 2013b ; Jones et al, 2017 ). In addition this study included participants with a range of ages, gender, and profession levels, something few previous studies have done.…”