Étude des enjeux psychologiques dans la pratique féminine des sports à risques

Abstract

Studies investigating risk-taking behaviours in the sports domain have often been conducted with men. It was not known if women reacted in a similar manner when confronted with risk. In order to better understand their motives and individual personality characteristics, we investigated the psychological actual experience of women involved in risk-taking sports. The research sample comprised 16 women in two separate groups: 1) hazardous sport professions: mountain guide, skydiving instructor, rally pilot, sailor ( n = 10, Mage = 34,2 ± 9,81) ; 2) high risk sports: alpinist, BASE jumper, ski bump ( n = 6, Mage = 26.8 ± 1.47). Semi-structured interviews were conducted using Patton's qualitative evaluation methodology (1990). The hierarchical theme analyses which were carried out emphasized several factors: 1) relationship with risks; 2) emotional regulation; 3) need for gratefulness; 4) relationship with parents; 5) gender identity. Contrarily to quantitative studies, the results underline the fact that the sensation seeking personality factor is not the major one for women involved in high risk sports: the emotional factors seem to be more important. Indeed, for non-professionals, hazardous sports are lived as a means of forgetting one's emotional distress and uneasy feelings momentarily, and as a way of getting away from everyday life, whereas professionals master potentially dangerous situations much better in hazardous sports, anticipating and preparing themselves more efficiently for the events. Professionals do not use risk as a means of escape from themselves or from any possible emotional problems. In summary, emotional regulation appears to be a central concept in risk-taking behaviours, and extreme sports could be used to promote a positive construction of identity. Extreme sports could give individuals the opportunity to feel more in charge of their practice. These results plead in favour of setting up specific processes in the psychology of risk-taking of women in sports.