Personality and mountaineering: A critical review and directions for future research

Abstract

Personality traits have been found to predict participation in high-risk sports. Nevertheless, recent research identified problems with treating participants in high-risk sports as a homogenous group. This narrative review provides a critical overview of personality research in the increasingly popular high-risk sport of mountaineering. Twenty four studies were identified following a search of ten databases, which allowed data for mountaineers to be analysed separately rather than being subsumed within homogenous high-risk sports groups. Mountaineers were generally found to possess higher levels of extraversion, conscientiousness, and emotional stability than the general population or low-risk sports participants. High levels of sensation-seeking were found in mountaineers across numerous studies. There was some evidence of mountaineers being assertive/aggressive, having difficulties interacting with others in social settings, and reporting problems with maintaining close relationships. Few studies examined how personality traits might be related to important outcomes such as accident rates, group cohesion, or team performance. Numerous limitations within the extant literature are identified. Recommendations are made to facilitate higher quality research and to encourage greater focus upon the application of knowledge via personality-informed interventions.