An Ecological Dynamics Approach to Understanding Human-Environment Interactions in the Adventure Sport Context—Implications for Research and Practice

Tuomas Immonen, Eric Brymer, Keith Davids and Timo Jaakkola
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Tuomas Immonen: Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences; University of Jyväskylä, 40014 Jyväskylä, Finland
Eric Brymer: Faculty of Health, Southern Cross University, Gold Coast Campus, Lismore, NSW 2480, Australia
Keith Davids: Sport & Human Performance Research Group, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield S1 1WB, UK
Timo Jaakkola: Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences; University of Jyväskylä, 40014 Jyväskylä, Finland

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 6, 1-21

Abstract: The last few decades have witnessed a surge of interest in adventure sports, and has led to an emerging research focus on these activities. However, recent conceptual analyses and scientific reviews have highlighted a major, fundamental question that remains unresolved: what constitutes an adventure sport. Despite several proposals for definitions, the field still seems to lack a shared conceptualization. This deficit may be a serious limitation for research and practice, restricting the development of a more nuanced theoretical explanation of participation and practical implications within and across adventure sports. In this article, we address another crucial question, how can adventure sports be better understood for research and practice? We briefly summarize previous definitions to address evident confusion and a lack of conceptual clarity in the discourse. Alternatively, we propose how an ecological perspective of human behaviors, such as interactions with the environment, may provide an appropriate conceptualization to guide and enhance future research and practice, using examples from activities such as freeride skiing/snowboarding, white-water kayaking, climbing, mountaineering and the fields of sport science, psychology and avalanche research and education. We draw on ecological dynamics as a transdisciplinary approach to discuss how this holistic framework presents a more detailed, nuanced, and precise understanding of adventure sports.

Keywords: adventure sport; extreme sport; ecological dynamics; transdisciplinary; form of life; skill; skill development; decision-making; freeriding; avalanche education (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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