The death of two expert base jumpers at Yosemite National Park on May 16—one of which was Dean Potter, considered among the world’s leading extreme athletes—raises the question: why do people engage in such a risky activity?

Temple University psychologist Frank Farley, one of the world's leading authorities on extreme sports, proposes that this behavior reflects primarily a personality—the Type T Personality—of a thrill-seeking, risk-taking, self-confident individual. The behavior also has biological and genetic features, including roles for dopamine, adrenaline, and heritability.

Farley, a former President of the American Psychological Association, has been interviewed or featured on programs highlighting the topic, including ESPN, Stan Lee's Superhumans (History Channel 2), NBC’s Today Show, Outside magazine, Men's Journal, ABC’s 20/20, and USA Today.

Farley can be reached at 215/668-7581 or [email protected].