{"id":20493,"date":"2025-05-16T08:16:02","date_gmt":"2025-05-16T08:16:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bergundsteigen.com\/?post_type=artikel&p=20493"},"modified":"2025-05-19T05:46:43","modified_gmt":"2025-05-19T05:46:43","slug":"how-do-mountaineers-tick","status":"publish","type":"artikel","link":"https:\/\/www.bergundsteigen.com\/en\/artikel\/how-do-mountaineers-tick\/","title":{"rendered":"How do mountaineers tick? What psychology reveals"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

For\u00a0over 50\u00a0years,\u00a0researchers\u00a0have\u00a0explored\u00a0the\u00a0psychological\u00a0traits\u00a0of\u00a0mountaineers \u2013\u00a0from\u00a0risk-taking\u00a0and\u00a0resilience\u00a0to\u00a0group\u00a0dynamics\u00a0and\u00a0decision-making\u00a0under\u00a0pressure.\u00a0Given\u00a0the\u00a0extreme\u00a0conditions\u00a0of\u00a0(highaltitude)\u00a0climbing,\u00a0understanding\u00a0the\u00a0mental\u00a0side\u00a0of\u00a0mountaineering\u00a0is\u00a0not\u00a0just\u00a0fascinating\u00a0but\u00a0potentially\u00a0life-saving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A\u00a0recent\u00a0systematic\u00a0review (2020)<\/a>\u00a0brings\u00a0clarity\u00a0to\u00a0this\u00a0field,\u00a0analyzing 69\u00a0studies\u00a0<\/strong>published\u00a0over\u00a0five\u00a0decades.\u00a0The\u00a0review\u00a0offers\u00a0a\u00a0comprehensive\u00a0overview\u00a0of\u00a0what\u00a0psychology\u00a0can\u00a0tell\u00a0us\u00a0about\u00a0those\u00a0who\u00a0venture\u00a0to\u00a0the\u00a0world\u2019s\u00a0highest\u00a0peak \u2014\u00a0and\u00a0where\u00a0future\u00a0research\u00a0is\u00a0still\u00a0needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The aim of this systematic review was to bring together and evaluate existing research on the psychology of mountaineering. Psychologist Dr. Patricia C. Jackman<\/a><\/strong> and her team set out to examine qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-method studies to understand what psychological traits, behaviors, and experiences<\/strong> are common among climbers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Sensation
Sensation seeker and risk-taking? What do we know about personality traits and behavior? Credit: Giacomo Berardi\/Unsplash<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The key question:<\/strong> What can published research tell us about the psychological side of mountaineering? To answer this, the authors used an inductive, theme-based approach to synthesize existing findings and build a clearer picture of how mountaineers think, feel, and act \u2013 both on and off the mountain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Method<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This\u00a0review\u00a0followed\u00a0a\u00a0systematic\u00a0approach,\u00a0combining\u00a0qualitative\u00a0and\u00a0quantitative\u00a0studies\u00a0using\u00a0a\u00a0mixed methods\u00a0synthesis\u00a0design.\u00a0The\u00a0authors\u00a0adhered\u00a0to\u00a0established\u00a0guidelines\u00a0to\u00a0ensure\u00a0transparency\u00a0and\u00a0rigor,\u00a0including\u00a0PRISMA<\/em> (for\u00a0systematic\u00a0reviews),\u00a0SWiM<\/em> (for\u00a0synthesis\u00a0without\u00a0meta-analysis),\u00a0and\u00a0ENTREQ<\/em> (for\u00a0qualitative\u00a0research\u00a0reporting).\u00a0This\u00a0allowed\u00a0them\u00a0to\u00a0integrate\u00a0diverse\u00a0types\u00a0of\u00a0evidence\u00a0into\u00a0one\u00a0coherent\u00a0overview\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0psychological\u00a0literature\u00a0on\u00a0mountaineering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Results: Sensation-Seeking and Risk-Taking <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This\u00a0first\u00a0comprehensive\u00a0review\u00a0of\u00a0psychological\u00a0research\u00a0in\u00a0mountaineering\u00a0reveals\u00a0that\u00a0climbers\u00a0generally\u00a0show\u00a0higher\u00a0levels\u00a0of\u00a0sensation-seeking\u00a0<\/strong>than\u00a0non-climbers\u00a0or\u00a0those\u00a0in\u00a0low-risk\u00a0sports.\u00a0While\u00a0this\u00a0might\u00a0suggest\u00a0a\u00a0greater\u00a0tendency\u00a0for\u00a0risk-taking,\u00a0the\u00a0findings\u00a0are\u00a0more\u00a0nuanced.\u00a0Experienced\u00a0mountaineers,\u00a0in\u00a0particular,\u00a0emphasized\u00a0minimizing\u00a0risks\u00a0and\u00a0making\u00a0careful\u00a0decisions<\/strong> \u2014 highlighting\u00a0that\u00a0sensation-seeking\u00a0does\u00a0not\u00a0necessarily\u00a0lead\u00a0to\u00a0reckless\u00a0behavior.\u00a0In\u00a0contrast,\u00a0less\u00a0experienced\u00a0or\u00a0mentally\u00a0less\u00a0resilient\u00a0climbers\u00a0were\u00a0more\u00a0likely\u00a0to\u00a0take\u00a0unnecessary\u00a0risks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Sensation-seeking does not always lead to reckless behavior<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Less
Less experience, more risky behavior? Credit: Joseph Andrews \/\/ Unsplah <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Self-awareness is a key feature for safety<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The review also offers new insights into how climbers make critical decisions in high-risk environments. It reveals that decision-making is shaped by a complex mix of emotions, self-awareness, cognitive strategies, and regulation. Importantly, elite climbers often rely on metacognitive processes<\/em>\u2014a kind of mental \u201coverthinking\u201d or reflection about their own thinking\u2014when deciding whether to continue or abandon a summit attempt. For example, many described an inner “feeling of knowing<\/strong>” that led them to turn back for safety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These findings suggest that metacognition<\/strong> \u2014 being aware of and regulating one\u2019s own thought processes \u2014 is key not only to making safer decisions but also to developing expertise<\/strong> in the sport. Supporting climbers in building this kind of self-awareness <\/strong>through training or guided reflection could significantly enhance both performance and safety on the mountain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Emotional Regulation in High-Stakes Situations: We tend to suppress our emotions <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The review also highlights the crucial role of emotion regulation (ER)<\/strong> in mountaineering, especially during crises. One widely reported strategy was emotional suppression<\/strong>\u2014deliberately holding back or hiding emotions to stay focused. While this is usually discouraged in sports psychology, mountaineers often suppress emotions to maintain team harmony during long, high-stress expeditions, or to stay composed in life-threatening situations like rescue operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Men are more likely to suppress the emotions<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The gender imbalance in the sample \u2014 over 80% male \u2014 may partly explain the prevalence of suppression, as men are generally more likely to use this strategy. However, while suppression can be effective in the short term, it also carries psychological risks if overused<\/strong>. The review therefore recommends that climbers diversify their emotion regulation strategies and seek psychological support when needed, especially after traumatic events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cognitive challenges in high altitude <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Functioning under reduced oxygen levels is a defining feature of mountaineering, particularly at very high or extreme altitudes. The review found consistent evidence that such conditions can impair neurocognitive functioning (NF)<\/strong>\u2014leading to slowed thinking, poor coordination, and decision-making difficulties. These impairments, which are often seen in climbers who have died on expeditions, underscore the serious risks associated with hypoxia<\/strong>. As a result, the review stresses the importance of monitoring mental performance at altitude and taking proactive steps to reduce the effects of oxygen deprivation on cognitive function.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This review offers new insights into the psychology of mountaineering by summarising over 50 years of research. It highlights key personality traits like sensation-seeking, emotional regulation strategies, and decision-making under extreme conditions. The findings suggest ways to improve safety and performance in the mountains. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Read the full review by psychologist Trish Jackman and their research team here: <\/strong>The psychology of mountaineering: a systematic review.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Patricia C. Jackman , Rebecca M. Hawkins , Shaunna M. Burke , Christian Swann & Lee Crust: The psychology of mountaineering: a systematic review. International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 16\/1, 2023, 1-39
DOI: 10.1080\/1750984X.2020.1824242<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sensation seekers, risk behavior \u2014 and emotionally unavailable? What do we know about the personality traits and behavioral tendencies of mountaineers? A review of 69 studies spanning 54 years explores the psychological aspects of mountaineering.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":20494,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","thema":[1111],"sportart":[1088],"ausgabe":[],"autorinnen":[94],"class_list":["post-20493","artikel","type-artikel","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","thema-human-factors","sportart-bergsteigen-en","autorinnen-bergundsteigen"],"yoast_head":"\nHow do mountaineers tick? What psychology reveals - bergundsteigen<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Sensation seekers, risk behavior and emotionally unavailable? What do we know about the personality of mountaineers? 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