The role of dual-task, self-efficacy and sensation seeking in high and low risk climbing sports

High-risk sports are influenced by contextual features and by personality traits such as self-efficacy and sensation seeking. The aim of this study was to investigate if dual-task, self-efficacy and sensation seeking influence sport performance in high and low-risk climbing disciplines. Sixty-nine climbers who practice low-risk (N = 34) and high-risk climbing (N =35) completed questionnaires on generalized self-efficacy and sensation seeking. The subjects carried out respectively the low or the high-risk tasks twice: with and without dual-task demands. The parameters of sport performance were: the total length covered and the number of mistakes. Results showed that climbers with high levels of sensation seeking demonstrated also high levels of self-efficacy, nevertheless, these personality traits do not affect directly the sport performance. Moreover, dual-task condition influences sport performance by worsening it. Results were discussed in light of the interference that concurrent demands may have on sport performance.