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Not just clowning around: Investigating psychological mechanisms underlying accidents in a heterogeneous group of contemporary circus artists
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Not just clowning around: Investigating psychological mechanisms underlying accidents in a heterogeneous group of contemporary circus artists

F.E.C.A. van Rens and E. Filho
Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, Vol.15(2), pp.377-385
2021
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Abstract

Safety is paramount to nurture artists’ creative growth and performance. In several contemporary circus arts disciplines, the consequences of accidents may involve severe injuries or death. In this article, we explore perceived risks, personality, experiences of sensation, emotion regulation, and agency in relation to accidents and near misses in contemporary circus arts (N = 248). A pathway analysis revealed that perceived risk, personality, and emotion regulation covary and together affect the likelihood of accidents and near misses in contemporary circus arts. A multivariate analysis of variance showed that contemporary circus arts consist of a heterogeneous group of discipline categories. Floor acrobats experienced significantly more accidents than aerial acrobats and object manipulators, and aerial acrobats experienced significantly more emotion regulation and agency than object manipulators. Further, aerial acrobats scored significantly higher on the personality traits conscientiousness and agreeableness than object manipulators. Our study reinforces the centrality of emotion regulation to safe performance in contemporary circus arts. Practitioners in performing arts, and circus in particular, are recommended to tailor safety interventions to the circus category and the artists’ personality-specific needs.

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Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
International collaboration
Citation topics
1 Clinical & Life Sciences
1.7 Neuroscanning
1.7.592 Gambling and Decision-Making
Web Of Science research areas
Humanities, Multidisciplinary
Psychology, Experimental
ESI research areas
Psychiatry/Psychology
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