Loyola Associate Professor of Psychology, Jason Prenoveau, Ph.D., has recently been quoted in the Jenkem Magazine article, The Science Behind Overcoming Fear in Skateboarding. Dr. Prenoveau outlines the psychology of fear and how it applies to skateboarding in the article, detailing how our fear is influenced not only from our own experiences, but also influenced from our observation of the experiences of others,

“For example, even if I am more genetically predisposed to fear and anxiety, maybe I see my sibling or friends doing hard tricks all the time growing up. And I never see them get hurt and often see them having fun. Then, when I try, I also don’t get hurt. Based on my learning, I am less likely to be fearful of doing tricks.”

Unfortunately, Prenoveau said the opposite can also be true. “If I see lots of others get hurt early on and/or get hurt myself early on, then I am more likely to be anxious/fearful of doing tricks.”