Aggression in Skydivers: An Examination of Gender and Experience

Abstract

The present study examined gender and aggression in novice and experienced skydivers. One hundred recreational skydivers were recruited from a skydiving club in the Northeastern United States that currently held a USPA “B License,” which requires at least 50 jumps to obtain. Skydiving experience was operationally defined as having completed 350 or more jumps. Participants completed an aggression inventory and a demographic questionnaire. Both experienced and novice female skydivers reported higher physical and total aggression scores compared to novice and experienced male skydivers. Experienced female skydivers reported higher anger scores compared to the other three groups. No significant differences were found on measures of verbal aggression or hostility. The total number of jumps and participant age were unrelated to any measure of aggression.