title: Alexithymia determines the anxiety experienced in skydiving.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  High-risk activities have typically been explored within a sensation seeking framework. They may, however, allow those with emotional difficulties to experience and regulate their emotions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Skydivers (n=87) completed anxiety and heart rate data four times on a single day before and after a skydive.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A 2 (group: alexithymic; non alexithymic) x 4 (time) ANOVA with repeated measures on the second factor revealed a significant alexithymia x time interaction, F(2.27, 192.60)=45.48, p<.001, eta(2)=.35. Anxiety fluctuated significantly more for alexithymic skydivers than it did for their non alexithymic counterparts. This interaction was not mirrored by heart rate. The relationship between alexithymia and anxiety remained significant when accounting for sensation seeking.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results leave open interpretations that are based on anhedonia, which was not controlled for.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Alexithymic individuals may find, in the high-risk domain, an environment that satisfies their emotion regulation needs.
authors.affiliation: School of Sport, Health, and Exercise Sciences, Bangor University, Gwynedd LL57 2DG, UK. t.woodman@bangor.ac.uk
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Woodman
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Huggins
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Le Scanff
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Cazenave
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D001007:Anxiety / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D001359:Aviation; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D013177:Sports