Personality, Affectivity, and Alexithymia in Scuba Diving: Two Types of Risk Taking
in Journal of Clinical Sport PsychologyClick name to view affiliation
Objectives for this study were, first, to describe individual differences in risk taking among scuba divers. Differences were examined on personality dimensions and psycho-affective variables, including positive and negative affect, as well as alexithymia. In addition, the study examined contributors to two types of behavior associated with scuba diving—deliberate risk taking and controlled participation in a high-risk sport (non-risk-taking). A cross-sectional design was used, and 131 participants were assessed on extraversion-neuroticism, affectivity, and alexithymia. The broad dimensions of personality and affectivity explained risk taking among divers. Alexithymia differentially predicted two types of risktaking behavior (direct or short-term and indirect or long-term) and was associated significantly with short-term risk-taking behavior.
Bonnet is with the Université de Lyon, Lyon, France. Bréjard and Pedinielli are with the Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France.
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