Current understanding in climbing psychophysiology research Item Type Article Authors Giles, David; Draper, Nick; Gilliver, Peter; Taylor, Nicola; Mitchell, James; Birch, Linda; Woodhead, Joseph; Blackwell, Gavin; Hamlin, Michael J. Citation Giles, D. et al (2014) 'Current understanding in climbing psychophysiology research', Sports Technology, 7 (3-4):108 DOI 10.1080/19346182.2014.968166 Journal Sports Technology Rights Archived with thanks to Sports Technology Download date 02/10/2021 04:24:36 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10545/620534 RTEC 968166—9/10/2014—CHANDRAN.C—495943 Sports Technology, 2014 Vol. 00, No. 0, 1–12, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/19346182.2014.968166 1 58 2 59 3 REVIEW 60 4 61 5 62 6 63 7 Current understanding in climbing psychophysiology research 64 8 65 9 66 10 67 1 1,2 1 1 11 DAVID GILES , NICK DRAPER , PETER GILLIVER , NICOLA TAYLOR , 68 12 1 1 3 2 69 JAMES MITCHELL , LINDA BIRCH , JOSEPH WOODHEAD , GAVIN BLACKWELL ,& 13 4 70 MICHAEL J. HAMLIN 14 71 15 1 2 72 School of Sports Performance and Outdoor Leadership, University of Derby, Buxton, United Kingdom, School of Sport and 16 3 73 Physical Education, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand, School of Sport and Exercise Science, The 17 4 74 University of Chichester, Chichester, United Kingdom and Department of Social Science, Parks, Recreation, Tourism & Sport, 18 75 Lincoln University, Christchurch, New Zealand 19 76 20 77 (Received 14 March 2014; accepted 19 August 2014) 21 78 22 79 23 80 24 Abstract 81 25 The sport of rock climbing places a significant physiological and psychological load on participants. Psychophysiological analysis 82 provides a unique insight into affective states arising from the demands of climbing, and the impact that they have on performance. 26 83 This review provides an overview of climbing psychophysiology research completed to date. To summarise, an on-sight lead ascent 27 of a route elicits the greatest psychophysiological response in climbers, whilst a red-point top-rope ascent produces the least. The 84 28 effects of climbing stimuli on an individual’s performance appear to be conditional on their experience. In general, experienced 85 29 climbers show superior performance and are less anxious than their less practiced counterparts, with significantly lower cognitive 86 30 and somatic anxiety, increased self-confidence and lower values of the steroid stress hormone cortisol. It is likely that the 87 experience–stressor–performance relationship is due to advanced climbers’ greater understanding of the risks associated with the 31 88 sport, their habituation to the stressors gained through practice and their ability to perform well with higher levels of anxiety. This 32 review outlines pertinent psychological climbing stimuli, summarises current methodologies and presents a detailed review of 89 33 climbing psychophysiology research. It also concludes with suggestions for improving the depth and breadth of future research, 90 34 including the need for the refinement of existing measures. 91 35 92 Keywords: psychophysiology, rock climbing, experience, stimuli, stressors, anxiety 36 93 37 94 38 95 Through the psychophysiological analysis of the 39 1. Introduction 96 stimuli, researchers are provided with a unique 40 97 The challenges, or stimuli, of climbing include the insight into affective states arising from the demands 41 98 significant physiological demands of the sport, 42 of the sport, along with the impact that they have on 99 including the difficulty, length and angle of a climb 43 individuals’ performance (Draper, Jones, Fryer, 100 44 (Watts, 2004); the psychological demands, including Hodgson, & Blackwell, 2008; Hodgson et al., 2009). 101 45 the style of ascent, competition, height, fear of falling Individual differences in interpretation mean that 102 46 and climbing with an audience (Hague & Hunter, stimuli will not affect all climbers in the same way 103 47 2011); along with a significant element of skill (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984). Stimuli may be 104 48 (Seifert et al., 2013). These psychological stimuli perceived as benign, stressful (distress, anxiety 105 49 must be responded to appropriately and effectively inducing, resulting in a negative affective state) or 106 50 managed for athletes to complete a climb successfully positive (eustress, enhancing function and optimal 107 51 (MacLeod, 2010). This review is concerned with arousal) (Apter, 1991). Distress and negative affect 108 52 research examining the affect of these psychological in response to a stimulus is likely due to a disparity 109 53 stimuli on climbers’ physiology and performance. between its demands and an individual’s ability to 110 54 111 55 112 56 Correspondence: D. Giles, School of Sports Performance and Outdoor Leadership, University of Derby, Devonshire Campus, 1 Devonshire Road, Buxton, 113 57 SK17 6RY, United Kingdom. Email: [email protected] 114 q 2014 Taylor & Francis RTEC 968166—9/10/2014—CHANDRAN.C—495943 2 D. Giles et al. 115 meet them; conversely, eustress and positive affect poor habituates and individuals who do not get 172 116 are likely to arise when an individual is capable of sufficient safe exposure may remain fearful (Clarke & 173 117 meeting the demands of a stimulus (Lazarus & Jackson, 1983). Climbers may habituate and 174 [AQ1] 118 Folkman, 1984). desensitise themselves to falling through actively 175 [AQ2] 119 This review comprises four distinct sections. taking falls whilst practicing climbing, and through 176 120 Section 2 summarises the key aspects of physiology progressively increasing the fall length (Ho¨rst, 2008; 177 121 and psychology research, which underpin our Macleod, 2010). Research is necessary to establish [AQ4]178 122 understanding of climbing psychophysiology. Sec- the effectiveness of fall training interventions, it is 179 123 tion 3 addresses psychophysiological measures also not known if habituation to falling indoors 180 124 currently used in climbing research. Section 4 transfers outdoors, to sport or traditional climbing, 181 125 outlines relevant research that has been conducted or vice versa. 182 126 in an applied climbing context. Finally, the Section 5 The affect of fear of falling has not yet been 183 127 summarises future research directions. examined in climbing psychophysiology literature, 184 128 although contexts where it is inferred have been used 185 129 (e.g. Draper et al., 2008). Alterations in height have 186 2. The nature of climbing stimuli 130 also been used to manipulate anxiety levels, relying 187 131 The primary stimuli considered in this review relate to on individual’s fear of falling and the presence of real 188 132 the significant psychological demands of climbing, in physical danger to elicit negative affective states 189 133 particular: the style of ascent; route knowledge and (Spielberger, 1966). These studies have examined 190 134 difficulty; and competition climbing and climbing with the anxiety–performance relationship (Pijpers, 191 135 an audience (Section 2.1). This is followed by an outline Oudejans, Holsheimer, & Bakker, 2003), the affect 192 136 of theories concerning the psychological bases of of anxiety on visual attention (Nieuwenhuys, Pijpers, 193 137 individual variation in responses (Section 2.2) and a Oudejans, & Bakker, 2008), anxiety-induced 194 138 summary of the relevant neurophysiological processes changes in movement in a whole body task (Pijpers, 195 139 (Section 2.3). Oudejans, & Bakker, 2005) and the role of anxiety in 196 140 perceiving and realising affordances (Pijpers, Oude- 197 141 jans, Bakker, & Beek, 2006). 198 2.1. Stimuli within the sport of climbing 142 199 143 2.1.1. Style of ascent. Climbing psychophysiology 200 144 research has predominantly, but not exclusively, 2.1.2. Route knowledge and difficulty. A climber’s 201 145 focused on alterations in the ‘style of ascent’ (e.g. prior knowledge of a route impacts the way in which 202 146 Dickson, Fryer, Blackwell, Draper, & Stoner, 2012; the ascent is completed, along with altering the 203 147 Draper et al., 2012; Fryer, Dickson, Draper, Blackwell, relative psychological load (Draper et al., 2008). The 204 148 & Hillier, 2012). The style of ascent describes the safety principal forms of ascent are ‘on-sight’, without any 205 149 protocol protecting the climber in the event of a fall. prior knowledge, on the first attempt; ‘flash’ 206 150 Safety protocols include lower-height ‘bouldering’ competing a route with prior knowledge on the first 207 151 routes, commonly protected by crash mats (Stiehl & ascent; or a ‘red-point’, repeat ascent of a whole or 208 [AQ3] 152 Ramsey, 2004). Longer ascents may be protected by a partially climbed route (Goddard & Neumann, 209 153 ‘top-rope’ with which a fall is immediately arrested, 1993). An on-sight is often considered the purest [AQ5]210 154 considerably reducing the consequences (Bisharat, form of ascent, although it is speculated that a red- 211 155 2009). Alternatively, climbers may ‘lead’ a route, where point, at a climber’s absolute maximum climbing 212 156 a fall results in travelling some distance before being grade, may prove to be a greater physiological and 213 157 arrested by a trailing rope, attached to either psychological challenge (Hague & Hunter, 2011). 214 158 intermittent pre-placed bolts, known as ‘sport lead Within published climbing psychophysiology 215 159 climbing’, or climber placed protection ‘traditional lead literature the antipodal conditions of on-sight and 216 160 climbing’ (Bisharat, 2009). red-point have been used exclusively (e.g. Draper 217 161 It is common for climbers to experience fear of et al., 2008; Hardy & Hutchinson, 2007). 218 162 falling, particularly whilst leading routes; this is The size and quality of hand and footholds 219 163 especially common in lower-grade climbers (Ho¨rst, available, and their spacing and the length and 220 164 2008; MacLeod, 2010). MacLeod (2010) describes angle of the climbing itself usually dictate a climbs’ 221 165 a fear of falling as a significant limiting factor in many difficulty.