The Human Factor in Skydiving
For skydivers, decision-making is a constant part of the activity, but the human tendency to simplify decision processes can lead to misjudgments that compromise safety.
Heuristics are mental shortcuts that allow us to make quick decisions without expending unnecessary resources. These shortcuts are useful in everyday life, like when choosing what to buy for dinner or deciding which route to take home. However, in a sport like skydiving, these shortcuts can become dangerous. When faced with complex situations under time pressure or stress, heuristics can fail and lead to so-called heuristic traps.
in skydiving, shortcuts can become dangerous
Photo by Bartek Olejowski
Six Heuristic Traps
McCammon (2004) identified six heuristic traps related to skiing in avalanche terrain, which are also relevant to skydiving. These traps are known as; familiarity, acceptance, commitment, expert halo, scarcity, and social facilitation.
1. Familiarity – The Comfort of the Known
One of the most common heuristics is relying on past experiences. Thoughts like “I know this drop zone well,” “I’ve handled these wind conditions before,” or “I’ve jumped with a group this size before” can create a false sense of security. Problems arise when changes, such as weather, wind, or human factors, make the situation different from what was expected.
How to avoid it: Treat every jump as unique. Take the time to analyze the weather conditions, your own capacity, the group you’re jumping with, the rest of the load, and other factors that could impact your safety, no matter how familiar the situation feels.
2. Acceptance – The Need for Approval
Few things are more human than the desire to be accepted. In skydiving, where many seek recognition for their skills, this desire can lead to risky behavior. Have you ever joined a jump you weren’t truly ready for? Have you jumped in wind conditions you weren’t comfortable with? If so, you may have been influenced by the need for acceptance.
How to avoid it: Remember that your safety is always more important than what others think of you. Saying “no” or “this is beyond my skill level” is a sign of strength, not weakness.
3. Commitment – The Power of a Plan
The more effort we put into a plan, the harder it becomes to deviate from it, even when conditions suggest we shouldn’t go through with it. This can be particularly problematic during boogies, special events, or jumps where time and resources have been invested in a plan. Planned to land on the T, but other jumpers are on the approach at the same time? Planned a sunset load with friends but feel exhausted after a long day of jumping?
Failing to adapt to changing circumstances, whether due to human factors or other conditions, can create dangerous situations.
How to avoid it: Stay flexible. A successful day of jumping isn’t about sticking to a plan no matter what, but about adapting to conditions to minimize risk.
4. Expert Halo – Over-reliance on Leaders
When an experienced jumper or instructor takes the lead, it’s easy to assume that they always make the right decisions. But even experts can make mistakes, we’re all only human. This can happen at events where experienced organizers are in charge, in groups where the most experienced person plans the jump, or on an ordinary day at the drop zone when the load organizer makes a call.
How to avoid it: Participate actively in the decision-making process and ask questions, even when more experienced jumpers are present. Your safety is your responsibility.
5. Scarcity – When Rare Opportunities Influence Choices
Rare opportunities, or exclusivity, can be a powerful motivator. When blue skies appear between rain showers, a popular coach is available for a limited time, or the only chance for a innhopp into a spectacular location arises, there can be pressure to jump regardless of the conditions. Suddenly, you’re hanging under your canopy, realizing that the marginal conditions weren’t worth it for that one jump.
How to avoid it: Remind yourself that more opportunities will come. It’s better to miss out on one jump than to risk injury that could prevent you from jumping in the future.
6. Social Facilitation – The Influence of the Group
Large groups can both increase risk tolerance and lead to a diffusion of responsibility. It’s easy to feel pressured to take bigger risks when surrounded by others. Since “everyone else is doing it,” you might feel a false sense of security.
How to avoid it: Make decisions in smaller groups. This gives everyone a chance to be heard and reduces the pressure to follow the majority.
The Path to Safer Decision-Making
Avoiding heuristic traps requires both self-awareness and practice. Here are some concrete steps to help you make better decisions:
- Awareness: Recognize the heuristic traps and consider how they might be influencing you.
- Culture: Promote open communication and a focus on safety. Normalize asking questions and voicing concerns.
- Evaluation: Take time to reflect on what worked, and what could have been done differently, after a jump.
By identifying the mental shortcuts that can lead us astray, we are better equipped to make safe, conscious choices in the air. Ultimately, this is what makes us better skydivers and ensures we land safely, ready to jump again and again.
Have You Experienced One of These Traps?
If you’ve experienced one of these mental traps, we’d love to hear from you. Email: frittfall.magasin@gmail.com
Blue skies 🌞
Article by Stine Solberg, with input from Eira Øvsthus Hagatun, originally published at Frittfall.org, reproduced by kind permission
Reference: McCammon, I. (2004). Heuristic traps in recreational avalanche accidents: Evidence and implications. The Avalanche Review, 22(4), 18-22.
