0
Pollock91

Psychology question

Recommended Posts

Doing a presentation on the psychology behind why extreme athletes compete in their given sport. I wanted to focus in on, skydiving , and just wanted to get the thoughts of those who compete actively in the sport. For those interested it would help by answering a couple questions.

1)Whats your personal motivation behind jumping out of an airplane.
2) What factor does adrenaline in YOUR own skydives.
3)What factor does pushing your skills to the next level play in your time in the sky

Thanks guys

Jamie

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Hi, so odd you would ask about this. I am new to the sport and just found a journal article about this very thing. I intended to post and ask if anyone read it and their thoughts. It is call "An Exploration of High-Risk Leisure Consumption Through Skydiving" by Richard Celsi, Randall L Rose and Thomas W. Leigh. It was published in the Journal of Consumer Research, Inc, Volume 20, Issue 1, 1993. There is some thought provoking (at least for me) information. Hope this helps a bit.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Oh MAN...nobody told there was a quiz today! :(





1)Whats your personal motivation behind jumping out of an airplane.
~Spiritual fulfillment, free beer & fear of landing in airplanes



2) What factor does adrenaline in YOUR own skydives.
~It's a rather addicting drug, so it is a considerable factor but hardly the primary one.


3)What factor does pushing your skills to the next level play in your time in the sky.
~The sport attracts a lot of type A personalities, the quest to better oneself is rather pronounced here but I don't believe it's a driving factor of participation.











~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
1 - Because it's really, really, really fun. Human flight realized. Admittedly, it's straight down. More of a plummet than actual flight, but I can't tell the difference.

2 - Not really all that much. It's defintely there, more of an endorphin buzz after the jump, but it certainly isn't my primary focus.

3 - I strive for improvement, but my schedule doesn't really allow me to jump enough to make any major strides. But I try to do better and try more, while being aware of my limitations and operating within (or only a little bit beyond) them.
"There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy

"~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote

1)Whats your personal motivation behind jumping out of an airplane.


I have an empty life and needed to fill a hole. Doing this expensive and dangerous activity allows me to look down on wuffos. I like to answer questions for people who are too lazy to do some research.
Quote

2) What factor does adrenaline in YOUR own skydives.


a) This is not a question: you have smoe grramar and sepling miskates.
b) Adrenaline exists in skydiving for the first few jumps. Very soon it is replaced by rationalization of risky behavior, complacency, ego, self aggrandizement and negative cash flow.
Quote

3)What factor does pushing your skills to the next level play in your time in the sky


This is the definition of a bad question: It makes the assumption that it is possible to "push" skills. and that there is a "next" level.
There is no "next" level. It is a continuum with many branches. You can work on gaining a specific skill (for example: 4-way linked exits) and still be unable to perform another (like turning pieces or sit-fly).
Every jump is a training jump where you are improving your skills even if you don't intend for it.

some more notes for you:
Skydiving is not for "extreme" athletes. Do a tiny tiny bit of research and you will find that most are old-er and not in the least bit athletic.
The number of people who compete in skydiving at a professional level is small. A bit more if you include canopy piloting in skydiving (YMMV)
There are many many papers on the psychology of risk and "extreeeeme" behavior.
The risk in skydiving is real, the level of risk in public perception is grossly over-inflated.
IMHO: if you want to learn about the psychology of risk, ask people why they drive fast.
There are no dangerous dives
Only dangerous divers

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
1. I don't think there was ever a motivation. My boyfriend knew it was on my bucketlist and paid for me to do a tandem skydive. I did it twice, and knew I just wanted to do it again. I just have this urge sometimes. I look up at the sky and smile..sometimes I daydream. It's like any persons dream really. Not skydiving but any regular person has a dream but theirs might not be as "scary" or "risky" as ours.
2. Wait what? From the moment I wake up in the morning the day of a jump my heart is already racing. It gets better once I'm in the plane. There were two times I didn't jump out of the plane because I was overcome with fear. But now I'm still nervous until I get in the plane. I've already made a decision to jump no matter what because I already have a rig on my back.
3. Well I'm a newbie in this...so I have a lot more jumps to go until I can skydive alone. :)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote

Skydiving is not for "extreme" athletes. Do a tiny tiny bit of research and you will find that most are old-er and not in the least bit athletic.



Really? I'm not sure actual research supports your claim:

http://www.uspa.org/Portals/0/MembershipSurveys/memsurvey10.pdf

This shows 53% of USPA members--a clear majority--as being age 39 or younger--the same age group in which you'd find most professional athletes. 12.8% of the US population (and that includes minors) is over age 65 but only 8% of skydivers (who generally must be adults) are over age 60.

The sport as a whole has definitely aged since my first try at skydiving in the 1980's. However, at age 47 (my current age), I'm definitely above the average age of skydivers--although I'm by no means the oldest person on the drop zone.

The demographic of skydivers IS, in general, fairly young. There are two things that prevent the average age being even younger IMHO. One is that the cost of the sport is high and one needs to be somewhat established financially to really pursue it. And the second is that people usually must be 18 to skydive so you don't have people reaching adulthood already well established in the sport like you might have in other sports.

OTOH I'd agree it isn't that "extreme" an activity.
"It's hard to have fun at 4-way unless your whole team gets down to the ground safely to do it again!"--Northern California Skydiving League re USPA Safety Day, March 8, 2014

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
1)Whats your personal motivation behind jumping out of an airplane.

I have always wanted to fly. The airplane is just a means to get up and out into the air.

2) What factor does adrenaline in YOUR own skydives.

I am odd and just don’t get it. My level of concentration seems to supersede my level of excitement. I have noticed that after I land (sometimes) my heart is pounding a bit, but I don’t notice it while I am actively involved.

3)What factor does pushing your skills to the next level play in your time in the sky.

There is a huge amount to learn and I love to take on new challenges and learn from them.
Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
1)What's your personal motivation behind jumping out of an airplane?

I started jumping a very long time ago. Probably before many of you younger jumpers were even born. At that time, there were only three voices in my head. We took a vote, and I lost. ....."Squirl!"

2) What factor does adrenaline play in YOUR own skydives?

Most thinkle peep I'm under the alcafluence of incohol. (read that three times really fast) That's just the adrenaline.


3)What factor does pushing your skills to the next level play in your time in the sky?

Well, now the voices in my head are all laughing out loud. Clearly, pushing myself to the next level has never been a priority. ;)

Time to put the tin foil back on my head and go over to the SC forum..... Hope this has been helpful. B|
Birdshit & Fools Productions

"Son, only two things fall from the sky."

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

1)Whats your personal motivation behind jumping out of an airplane.

It makes me happy. It makes my world make sense. I get depressed if I wait too long to jump again.

2) What factor does adrenaline in YOUR own skydives.

A lot. It's crack. It's what drives me back again and again.


3)What factor does pushing your skills to the next level play in your time in the sky

I love learning new things, but I don't always focus on it.



Also, while I don't mean to be a complete dick, I feel this needs mentioning. If you are going to ask people for information for an article, presentation, or scientific endeavor, please use correct grammar and proofread. It's like punching science and literature in the face when you use poor English while gathering information.B| And I happen to like science and literature, so please don't face punch them. Thanks. :P

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote

Thanks to those who answered my questions. I apologize for the poor grammar and sentence structure. It was caused by last minute scrambling for real life input on the subject for a presentation today... Careless rushed typing. Thanks again



You waited until the LAST possible second to do your research??:o

d00d...you would fit right in to Skydiving!!;)










~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
1)Whats your personal motivation behind jumping out of an airplane.

It's a lot of fun, and I like it.

2) What factor does adrenaline in YOUR own skydives.

It's not something I personally notice until the end of the day, after 10 jumps or so. Sitting there with a beer in your hand joking with the folks you just spent the day with is always pleasant, no matter how the day went.

3)What factor does pushing your skills to the next level play in your time in the sky

I'm pretty type A, and am always attracted to things where I can learn. Finding 3 kindred spirits who feel the same way about 4-way as me is invigorating. There's still a lot of learning (and execution) around that aspect of the sport. Pursuing excellence there is fun and satisfying in many ways.
We are all engines of karma

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Given I'm very new to the sport my answers may be different from the veterans but here goes:

1)Whats your personal motivation behind jumping out of an airplane.
There's something quite un-natural and rebellious about it that I like. People don't belong in the sky. Also - it's mega fun!



2) What factor does adrenaline in YOUR own skydives.

Definitely feel it more afterwards - that said I've not experienced freefall yet as I'm a noob!


3)What factor does pushing your skills to the next level play in your time in the sky

It's good to have a goal to aim for, in my case it's currently aiming for my A licence.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote


1)Whats your personal motivation behind jumping out of an airplane.

Someone doing the sex with me

2) What factor does adrenaline in YOUR own skydives.

Honestly, I feel its very low. I think of skydiving like intense yoga, its not so much adrenaline that's getting me to my next point, its precision and precision doesn't come from adrenaline it comes from calmness (in my opinion)

3)What factor does pushing your skills to the next level play in your time in the sky

Depends on my intent, some days I am there just to have fun with friends in the sky and be silly. Sometimes I am training towards specific goals and am working towards said goal.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote

Quote

Isn’t yours the blue one?



~ yes it certainly is! :ph34r:

Ha, Fucking HAIR DRESSERS car :D:D:D:D
You'd look friggin funny in that Jim:ph34r:
You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote

Quote

Quote

Isn’t yours the blue one?



~ yes it certainly is! :ph34r:

Ha, Fucking HAIR DRESSERS car :D:D:D:D
You'd look friggin funny in that Jim:ph34r:


I look funny in ANYTHING Squeak!

Test drove a Boxter but I didn't fit...:|


Too bad they were out of Miatas huh? :ph34r:










~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

0