| Summary: | Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. === ENGLISH ABSTRACT: There has been an increase in the popularity of adventure programming over the past few years, with the result that the practice of high-risk recreational activities is growing phenomenally. This study examined how students who are enrolled in a full time adventure education programme involving high-risk recreational activities would differ in terms of sensation-seeking, locus of control and self-efficacy when compared to their non-participative peers. The research group devoted a whole year towards an adventure-based gap year programme that utilises high-risk recreational activities as a core aspect of the programme’s curriculum. It was hypothesised that the research group will measure higher in sensation-seeking, locus of control and self-efficacy when compared to the research equivalent group. For this cross- sectional quantitative study, the research group consisted of 25 students participating in the high-risk iALA recreational adventure programme. The research equivalent group consisted of 34 first year university students. The two sample groups were assessed in terms of their attribute differences on Zuckerman’s Sensation-Seeking Scale, Sherer’s General Self-efficacy Scale, and Rotter’s Internal-External Locus of Control Scale.
MANOVA and ANOVA analyses were performed in order to analyse the data. The study indicated that there was a significant difference in sensation-seeking between the two samples. There was, however, no significant difference in levels of locus of control and self-efficacy between the two samples. The study’s significant findings support trends in previous studies concerning greater sensation-seeking among participants of high-risk recreation activities. Important considerations for the results obtained are provided together with implications for further research in this field. === AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Avontuurprogramme het die afgelope paar jaar in gewildheid toegeneem en het tot gevolg dat daar al hoe meer van hoë-risiko ontspanningsaktiwiteite gebruik gemaak word. Hierdie studie ondersoek hoe studente wat aan hoë-risiko ontspanningsaktiwiteite deelneem, verskil ten opsigte van die soeke na sensasie, lokus van kontrole en self-effektiwiteit in vergelyking met hul niedeelnemende portuurs. Die eksperimentele groep het vir ʼn jaar deelgeneem aan ʼn gapingsjaar-avontuurprogram met hoë-risiko ontspanningsaktiwiteite wat ʼn kernsaspek van die kurrikulum uitmaak. Die hipotese was dat die eksperimentele groep hoër sou meet in die soeke na sensasie, lokus van kontrole en self-effektiwiteit as die kontrolegroep. Vir die doel van hierdie kwantitatiewe studie het die eksperimentele groep uit 25 studente bestaan wat aan hoë-risiko ontspanningsaktiwiteite deelgeneem het gedurende die gapingsjaar-avontuurprogram. Die kontrolegroep het uit 34 eerstejaar universiteitstudente bestaan. Ten einde die verskil tussen die twee groepe te assesseer, is Zuckerman se Sensation-Seeking Scale, Sherer se General self-efficacy scale, en Rotter se Internal external locus of control scale gebruik.
ʼn MANOVA en ANOVA is gebruik om die data te analiseer. Die studie het getoon dat daar ʼn betekenisvolle verskil tussen die twee groepe was ten opsigte van die soeke na sensasie. Daar was egter geen betekenisvolle verskil in die vlakke van lokus van kontrole en self-effektiwiteit tussen die twee groepe nie. Bevindings van die huidige studie oor die soeke na sensasie het bevindings van vorige studies rakende die soeke na sensasie en hoë-risiko ontspanningsaktiwiteite ondersteun. Belangrike afleidings kan gemaak word uit die resultate wat verkry is wat moontlikhede bied vir verdere navorsing in hierdie veld.
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