Psychological Profiles

 

High risk sports

 

Sporting risk takers (such as mountaineers and parachutists) tend to be very confident that they can manage the risks involved, and have friends that also choose to take potentially fatal risks. They are willing to take physical risks in order to trigger the fight or flight response, although because they believe themselves to be in control of the risks they experience this high arousal as excitement rather than fear. This appeals to their unusually high Sensation Seeking needs (Experience Seeking and Thrill and Adventure Seeking) and gives them feelings of satisfaction derived from the exercise of control in dangerous circumstances that they perceive to be challenging rather than threatening. Situations that involve risk, but do not involve a large degree of personal control (such as playing Russian Roulette), are therefore unlikely to appeal to this kind of risk taker. Sporting risk takers are more likely to be male, and may be high in Emotional stability (low Neuroticism) suggesting resilience to aversive stimuli and low anxiety that may partially explain their self-confidence. The motto of a sporting risk taker might be "who dares wins". If the risk taking sports participant has to be described in a sentence, one might say that they were a confident and physically adventurous risk taker motivated by Sensation Seeking and mastery needs. (This profile accounts for around 60% of the participation in high risk sports.)

 

 

Figure 1 below graphically illustrates the intriguing way in which these variables fit together. The shaded area represents an individual risk taker, where their participation in high risk sports is the result of a number of motivations and influences that have both genetic and environmental origins. Specific situational influences originate within the larger and more general environment and are categorised as such. Variables that are generally associated with the participation in high risk sports strongly (on a statistical basis) are classified as "large" influences, and variables associated to a smaller degree were classified as "small" influences in order to show which are the most important variables. Peer behaviours (for example the behaviour of friends) are often found to be strongly associated with the participation in high risk sports, and so it is categorised as a large situational influence within the overall category of situational influences. Situational influences are linked to risk taking behaviours and individual differences with two way arrows in order to reflect the way in which they influence each other, in that an individual may choose to be with a certain kind of person because of their own interests, but they themselves may be affected by the thoughts and behaviours of their peers. Individual differences (such as thoughts, attitudes, personality traits, gender and age) are grouped in a similar way, although they are a characteristic of the risk taker themselves, and so they are grouped within the shaded area. The link between individual differences and the participation in high risk sports is also represented with a two way arrow because individual differences are thought to lead to the motivation to participate in high risk sports, and direct experiences with these behaviours are thought to influence certain individual differences (e.g. confidence). A number of individual differences (including personality traits such as Emotional stability vs. Neuroticism) are widely believed to be caused or influenced by underlying genetic differences, and these are represented by a separate category linked to individual differences via a one-way arrow to reflect the way genetics shape our thoughts, but we do not in turn shape our genetics. The plus and minus signs "(+)" and "(-)" illustrate the direction of the relationship, for example people who take sporting risks are more likely to be high in confidence (represented by a plus sign).

 

Figure 1: A Conceptual Model Of High Risk Sports Participation

 

Health risk behaviours

 

People who take health risks are willing to take both social and physical risks indicating that they are willing to defy social conventions and risk their physical well-being. Combined with elevated Sensation Seeking needs (Experience Seeking and Disinhibition) their generalised acceptance of risk leads them to try a variety of risky health related behaviours that may be illegal or dangerous (to themselves and to others). They are more likely to be young people and Extraverted, which means that they may be sociable optimists, like parties, take chances and have many friends. They also tend to assess health risks to be lower than other people, and if combined with an easygoing party attitude may lead them to take even greater risks. The motto of a Health risk taker might be "if you want the ultimate high, you've got to be willing to pay the ultimate price". If the Health risk taker has to be described in one sentence you could say that they tend to be socially disinhibited Sensation Seekers willing to risk their physical health. (This profile accounts for around 40% of the participation in health risk behaviours.)

 

 

In the same way as with high risk sports, the participation in health risk behaviours can be conceptualised within a framework that illustrates the role of individual differences and other relevant variables (Figure 2). The largest influences are clearly that of social risk propensity, physical risk propensity and Sensation Seeking (the Experience Seeking and Disinhibition sub-dimensions).

 

Figure 2: A Conceptual Model Of The Participation In Health Risk Behaviours

 

People who take risks with their health and participate in high risk sports are most likely to exhibit a blend of these two profiles, and people who avoid risks altogether can be characterised by the opposite profile. Do not be too surprised if you do not "fit the profile" when thinking about your own personality and risk taking behaviours. These are generalisations that describe most risk takers pretty well, but there are exceptions, and these profiles should not be seen as hard and fast rules or psychological laws.