Alexithymia determines the anxiety experienced in skydiving

BackgroundHigh-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.MethodsSkydivers (n = 87) completed anxiety and heart rate data four times on a single day before and after a skydive.ResultsA 2 (group: alexithymic; non alexithymic) × 4 (time) ANOVA with repeated measures on the second factor revealed a significant alexithymia × time interaction, F(2.27, 192.60) = 45.48, p < .001, η2 = .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.LimitationsThe results leave open interpretations that are based on anhedonia, which was not controlled for.ConclusionsAlexithymic individuals may find, in the high-risk domain, an environment that satisfies their emotion regulation needs.