UKC

Dear all,

I am currently conducting research into the risk behaviours exhibited whilst participating in risk sports and am in need of climbers/mountaineers to complete the survey below. I want to understand whether motivation for participation will mediate the risk/precautionary behaviours exhibited by participants and try to understand why some people take unnecessary risks.

If you can help please follow/copy the link below into your search bar and complete the survey. It should take an average of 10 minutes to complete. Anybody who does so and leaves a contact email will receive feedback on the studies findings. Thanks in advance for your participation.

Simon


https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/RL38LQZ

In reply to simonjb87:

surely this subject has been adequately researched by now.......

In reply to simonjb87:

I have my own (unproven) hypothesis. The risky behaviour people correlate with the people too lazy to fill in an online survey.

In reply to simonjb87:

how can you meaningfully put all skiing into one class ? the risks vary enormously between pottering around a XC circuit or gentle alpine piste & serious, multi day touring in remote terrain.

In reply to simonjb87:


One unnecessary risk I tend to avoid is handing out my contact details to unknown individuals for no benefit.

In reply to simonjb87:

Done, good luck.

In reply to simonjb87:
Started to complete this and found it was identical to another load of rubbish survey (cribbed from and American one from years ago) that was on here a few weeks ago. If you are going to post a survey; 1/Do some research on the site you are posting on. 2/ Use a relevant survey. 3/ At least put some effort into designing your own questions. 4/ Ensure the questions are concise and can be answered. 4/ MOST IMPORTANTLY. Don't ask for e-mail addresses in the survey. I get enough junk to my e-mail address without this kind of poorly disguised fishing scam.

In reply to simonjb87:

Hello Simon,
Welcome to UKC, and thank you for inviting me to help with your research. I honestly do hope something valuable and informative comes out of it. However. Maybe it's because I'm tired and ready for the weekend, maybe I'm just sick of being asked daft questions today, but what do I get out of it?

"5. What will happen to the results of the study
The results of the study will be used to inform the discussion of my dissertation. All personal information will be kept anonymous."

Apparently I get nothing out of it apart from losing a few minutes I'll never see again. As I suggested in a similar thread not long ago (http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?t=644935), if you help me, I'll help you.

So, your institution: St Mary's University, Twickenham
and your supervisor: Dr Wadey....

....are the first winners of my "Never Darken My Door Again With Your Questionnaires - I'm A Miserable Bugger" award.

Maybe next time you ask on a forum to help with your research, you research the forum first?

In reply to markAut:


Which says it all.

Mick

In reply to simonjb87:

Good Morning All,

Firstly I would like to say thank you to the people who have filled out the survey. Your input is greatly appreciated. I would like to address the comments made on this thread so sorry for the essay below. I appreciate the feedback given and all of it was taken in a constructive manner. I am sorry my use of this forum was firstly inappropriate or secondly an annoyance to any regular contributors.

For forum members who were deterred from completing the study because of the request for an email address that is fine. The contact section is just so that I can send feedback about the outcome of the survey should you be interested in the findings. And anyway I have found some of the names and email addresses quite amusing...thanks climby mc climby.

Toad- There has been a lot of research into the reasons for why people participate in risk sports, however most of this research centred around the idea of sensation seeking and this is far too simple an idea to group all participants into one single motivation. Luckily the area is being explored further now and lots of other motivations are coming to light. Moreover this research is focussed mainly on the reasons why people take unnecessary risks (i.e. A backcountry skier who may travel off-piste without the correct equipment, or that may ignore avalanche warnings) and whether this can be attributed to their motivation for participation. I do not pretend to have read all journals and articles on this area however I have read many and this informed the idea behind my question. Sorry if there is something I have missed.

Marsbar- You may be right and its true a lot of people can not be bothered to complete online surveys. I am however hopeful that there may be some risky behaviour people out there who love an online survey also---only time will tell but a man has got to try.

Doug- It is worth noting that at the current time the most used definition of risk sports are “all sports where you have to reckon with the possibility of serious injury or death as an inherent part of the activity” (Breivik, 1999, p. 10) this is obviously quite broad. That being said I understand your point and agree. In fact this is one of the reasons why I am currently trying to recruit Mountaineers. I am currently looking for mountaineers and BASE jumpers as previous research would suggest there motivation for participation are contradictory (whether rightly or wrongly). The information already collected from a range of so called risk sports such as skiing or mountain biking will be used more in an informatory way.

Dogwatch- Fair play caution is often advised.

Abseil- Thank you, your time is appreciated.

John Cook- I am sorry that you found this study as being similar to another survey you have previously seen and I wanted to take the time to address your points directly. If you point me in the direction of this study I can have a look and see if I need to adjust anything regarding my own study. This being said I have taken time to perform my due diligence to ensure that this study is worthwhile and should hopefully provide an original answer.

1/Do some research on the site you are posting on.- Sorry if my use of this forum has been an incorrect use of its purpose. I was trying to recruit participants for the study and thought this forum would present a good demographic. I apologise if it was not the intended purpose of the forum.

2/ Use a relevant survey- The questionnaires being used are currently the most recent surveys in the area (to my knowledge) and have not been put together to inform the current hypothesis (once again to my knowledge).

3/ At least put some effort into designing your own questions.- Within research this is not always possible. Should my research form part of a PHD not MSc I would certainly have looked into designing my own questionnaire. The design of a questionnaire however is a study in itself and would have not allowed me to research the question that I am currently interested. That being said for me using questionnaires that other researchers have already validated was the best option.

4/ Ensure the questions are concise and can be answered.- This is linked to the above and sadly I can not re-word questions for a questionnaire that has been deemed as valid. Once again sorry if any of the questions were not clearly worded.

4/ MOST IMPORTANTLY. Don't ask for e-mail addresses in the survey. I get enough junk to my e-mail address without this kind of poorly disguised fishing scam.- Leaving a contact email or not was your choice dependant on whether you would like to receive feedback. Sorry if this was not made clear.

MarkAut- Firstly thank you for your welcome to the forum and your best wishes for my research. You ask a fair point in regards to "What do you get out of it?" Sadly the most I can offer is feedback based on the results of the study. As was stated in my original message anybody who wanted to receive feedback on the studies findings should leave a contact email. The anonymous part would refer to your results not being shared with others but this does not prohibit me from discussing your results with you within the context of the study.

Overall firstly I would like to thank everyone involved in the discussion for their feedback. I have taken all your points on board and will work towards completing a worthwhile study. As a participant and instructor in a range of mountain activities I have an interest in this area and would like to know why some participants may act in an unsafe manner. Hopefully I will be able to provide relevant feedback to those involved in the study.

Best Wishes


Simon

In reply to simonjb87:

Thanks for bothering to reply

In reply to simonjb87:

"Doug- It is worth noting that at the current time the most used definition of risk sports are “all sports where you have to reckon with the possibility of serious injury or death as an inherent part of the activity” (Breivik, 1999, p. 10)"

That's pretty much every single sport. OK maybe not Lawn Bowls. Golfers get hit by lightening. Crickets get concussed.

I really struggle with the the term "unnecessary risk". Firstly because it is judgemental, secondly because it lacks context and thirdly because most who pursue "risk sports" go to some lengths to minimise risk. Evidently therefore, it is the activity that is rewarding, not the risk.

In reply to Dogwatch:

If that's the definition, its pretty meaningless as it would seem to include everything from a gentle stroll to trying to solo a new route on K2

In reply to simonjb87:

I think the biggest flaw with that survey is that it assumes that risky activities are a) important and b) thrill seeking. There was no mention of socialisation as being a reason for participating. I go climbing because I find it relaxing.

In reply to Dogwatch:

I really struggle with the the term "unnecessary risk". Firstly because it is judgemental, secondly because it lacks context and thirdly because most who pursue "risk sports" go to some lengths to minimise risk. Evidently therefore, it is the activity that is rewarding, not the risk.

I agree with most of that statement. For example I always take avalanche equipment and check weather reports before going touring. Not to mention the constant assessments of the environment throughout the day. In a similar way to a skydiver checking their parachute to ensure its well packed and working. However I also know people who are more frivolous in their pursuits. I also agree that context is important as something that may be a risk to one, may not necessarily be a risk to others. For example someone may view doing a cliff drop as an "unnecessary risk" and dangerous, however your seasoned skier who has approached many similar jumps may view it as everyday easy to them. Adding this extra context to findings would be a good future project for someone.

In reply to Fredt:

You have in fact hit the nail on the head. The study is underpinned by more recent research that claims (rightly in my humble opinion) that not all risk sports participants are motivated by sensation seeking. Of course the survey still asks about this motivation, however it also asks about other motivations. I can't really say more without damaging the survey for participants.

In reply to simonjb87:

I can't get past the contact details. I don't wish to provide my email and therefore cannot complete the survey.

In reply to simonjb87:

Try researching the site over the last few months for people asking for ten minutes of your time, and can you complete my survey, and can you help with my masters etc..
No e-mail no progression into the survey!
Questions are cribbed from a very old American one and still have American terminology in them.
I complete as many surveys as I can but the last few, where feedback has been offered in exchange for e-mail addresses has resulted in a flurry of spam e-mails. The surveys were almost identical, and it may be the cynic in me, but, as I use a 'special' e-mail address for this kind of thing, I suspect that phishing is the main reason for the survey. Valid e-mail addresses are, it appears, quite valuable to junk posters.

In reply to Lion Bakes:

Thanks for your interest in the survey. If you put in a random email like the example below it will let you on. Honestly some of them have been quite inventive.

idontwanttoprovidemycontactdetails@leavemypersonallifealone.co.uk

Best wishes

In reply to simonjb87:

I'm surprised that at MSc level your supervisor allows you to get away with not designing your own questionnaire, or at bare minimum, adapting an existing questionnaire for your target respondents in the UK.

In reply to simonjb87:

Thanks for a considered response. Would it be beyond the bounds of possibility for you to post an abstract of your report? I cannot see how it could break any IP or confidentiality rules.

In reply to simonjb87:

I've been climbing for over 20 years. I've yet to meet anyone who climbs to get an adrenaline rush or who enjoys taking unnecessary risks. If you climbed you would realise that quickly. You would do better to ask people why they climb.

In reply to markAut:

Not at all, I will endeavour to do so once my write up is complete.

In reply to I like climbing:

And recent research would agree with you. That is why I am trying to recruit climbers/mountaineers as it is theorised that they are motivated by other reasons. The current trend of research is trying to disparage the idea that all risk sports participants and is trying to recognise their individual differences.

In reply to hazeysunshine:

The questionnaires in use in this study have been developed and validated for purpose in the UK at Bangor University in North Wales. It is common that some participants or even academics will disagree with their usefulness as is the case with most self-report questionnaires. However I have tried to choose methods that I felt were best suited to the study.