For most of us, the idea of jumping off a bridge with a parachute or surfing a wave

70 feet high seems to defy comprehension. We might regard base jumpers, big wave surfers, free solo

rock climbers, and other extreme adventurers with a mixture of confusion, awe, and skepticism, thinking there's no way I could risk my life

like that. Psychologists too have wondered what drives people to participate in extreme sports,

and they're finding that many of our preconceived notions about adventurers are wrong.

Many extreme adventurers, they argue, are not dare-devil risk takers, but instead careful

planners who prepare methodically for the adventures they undertake. So what does draw people to

extreme adventure? Do adventurers share any common personality traits? Do they just have less

fear than the rest of us? Or do they channel

their fear differently? And what role does fear play in how adventurers approach what they do?

What lessons can less adventurous people learn from research into extreme adventure?

Welcome to Speaking of Psychology, the flagship podcast of the American Psychological Association

that examines the links between psychological science and everyday life.

I'm Kim Mills.

My guest today is Dr. Eric Brimer, a psychologist and senior lecturer at Southern Cross University in Australia, where

he studies the human nature relationship and performance in extreme environments.

He has interviewed dozens of adventurers for his research studies and is the editor of a recent

book, Adventure Psychology, going knowingly into the unknown. Dr. Brimer, thank you for joining me

today. Thank you very much for inviting me, Kim. It's very wonderful to be with you across the pond.

The big pond. The very big pond. Well, let's start with a question that I posed in the

introduction. What draws people to participate in activities like base jumping or free solo climbing?

I mean, you've interviewed a lot of adventurers over the years.

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