An Investigation of Courage, Emotion and Well-Being in Relation to Adventurous Activities

Abstract

Adventurous outdoor activities often involve risk (Barton, 2006, p. 3) and higher purpose and therefore also courage to act. This study investigates possible differences in terms of emotions and courage-related measures between acting on or bypassing the call to courage. It also considers how well-being is affected by recalling and reflecting upon a courage-related experience. Through a mixed-methods questionnaire we captured qualitative and quantitative reports on an adventurous outdoor experience in which participants either acted or bypassed on a call to courage. Particpants were afterwards given the 7-point one-item Kemp Quality of Life Scale (Cheung & Lucas, 2014), which was also given to a control group. Our findings suggests recalling and reflecting upon adventurous activities has a positive effect on well-being. Both experimental groups rated well-being higher than control group, but the effect was only statistically significant for those who bypassed. Emotions, perceived risk, competence and desire to succeed can be used as reliable predictors for whether the participants acted or bypassed the activity. Those who acted reported stronger positive emotions, higher risk, stronger desire to complete and higher competence in relation to the activity than those who bypassed. Key words: Adventurous Activity, Risk, Courage, Well-Being, Emotion, Nature