Intercorrelations between personality traits, behavioral impulsivity, and extreme sport participation and injury in a U.S. college sample.

OBJECTIVE

Increasing engagement and injury in extreme sports, characterized by heightened risks of injury, are positively associated with personality traits such as sensation seeking and impulsivity. However, the degree to which different self-report and behavioral measures of personality are related to extreme sports is unclear.

PARTICIPANTS

Data was collected from 1,019 undergraduate students.

METHODS

Participants completed self-report surveys assessing sensation seeking (SSPTS), impulsivity (BIS-11), Big Five personality traits (TIPI), and behavioral impulsivity tasks.

RESULTS

Sensation seeking, particularly the risk seeking subscale, was most strongly associated with extreme sports participation ( = .24,  < .01) and injury ( = .21,  < .01) across various sports. Big Five traits were also better predictors of study outcomes than measures of impulsivity.

CONCLUSIONS

This work contributes to the ability to tailor prevention and intervention efforts to individuals involved in a range of extreme sports, ultimately mitigating health risks through personality assessment.