Extreme Sports Athletes Have a Lot in Common With Gamblers
Posted on 21. Oct, 2011 by Problem Gambling in Gambling Addiction Research
A recent article in Science Daily addresses research done by the University of Bergen that sheds light on extreme sport athletes obsessed with thrill-seeking adventures and impulse control the same way compulsive gamblers are with their gambling. One major difference though is the gamblers’ lifestyle may lead to economic strife and money woes.
The researchers picked a number of extreme sports from a list of groups and the team then sent a survey to parachuting teams in Norway. The results found that although the skydivers are typically individuals who do thrill-seek, the team found it interesting that the thrill seekers really are healthy individuals without a diagnosis or who are considered to have an illness. Ironically, they scored higher or more extreme in all the groups that were targeted, as compared with the addicted gamblers.
One of their major findings was that the extreme scores for thrill seeking or spontaneity don’t necessarily hold a negative connotation or need to be linked with a diagnosis, as with gambling addiction. The work also suggested that compulsive gamblers might not be able to feed their addiction without risking health or finances. Both groups, extreme sports athletes and gamblers, have a strong craving for powerful stimulus.
There was a noticeable difference on one level, however. Skydivers tend to seek the thrill of new adventures, whereas the gamblers are more locked into their routine. Skydivers do their sport on a less frequent basis but more intensely, whereas the gambler may play the slots all day.
The question that remains is whether the person is born with these impulsive desires such as thrill-seeking or gambling or the need is created as a result of seeking these activities.
