How rock climbers think

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2024-10-11 08:15

New Zealand; International

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Rock climbers don't have such different personalities to non-climbers, though they tend to be more conscientious, internally motivated, and task-oriented, say NZ researchers reviewing climbers' psychology. Looking at over 80 past studies totalling more than 3800 participants, the authors found climbing performance is linked with traits like openness, agreeableness, and sensation seeking. More advanced climbers were motivated by personal achievement and sensation-seeking rather than ego, and the authors suggest that 'ego-orientation' appears 'uncommon and unhelpful' to climbers. They  also highlight the links between climbing, mindfulness, and achieving a 'flow state', particularly in outdoor climbing.