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“Passing through life”: Alexithymia and attachment disorders

1995; Elsevier BV; Volume: 39; Issue: 8 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/0022-3999(95)00511-0

1879-1360

Sebastian Kraemer, Peter Loader,

Psychoanalysis and Psychopathology Research

Nous avons mené des entretiens psychologiques exploratoires auprès de 16 femmes pratiquant des sports extrêmes (e.g. guides de haute montagne, pilotes de rallye, parachutistes…). Notre objectif, en tenant compte du caractère professionnel ou non professionnel de la prise de risque sportive, était de mettre en évidence des processus psychologiques spécifiques aux femmes, alors que la plupart des données de la littérature portent sur des études réalisées chez des hommes. Les résultats de notre analyse qualitative de contenu thématique hiérarchique font apparaître plusieurs déterminants psychoaffectifs aux comportements de prises de risques des femmes interviewées : 1) rapport au risque ; 2) régulation émotionnelle ; 3) besoin de reconnaissance ; 4) relations aux parents ; 5) identité de genre. À la différence des études standardisées examinant les motivations reliées à la prise de risque sportive, nous constatons que la recherche des sensations, habituellement prédicteur prépondérant de la prise de risque masculine, se retrouve à un moindre degré dans le discours de ces femmes alors que des facteurs affectifs le sont davantage. Ces résultats plaident en faveur de la mise en place des processus spécifiques dans la psychologie de la prise de risque sportive chez les femmes.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.