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Sensation SeekingKristen Cushman

+Overview

Sensation seeking

Description & Measurement

Relation to other personality characteristics

Big 5 & Eysenck’s PEN

Occupations, habits, hobbies related to SS

Factors that affect SS

Problems with measures of SS scales

+Sensation Seeking

Definition coined by Zuckerman

Multifaceted personality trait

Seeking varied, novel, complex & intense

sensations/experiences

Willing to take physical, social, legal & financial

risks for sake of such experience

+Measuring Sensation Seeking

Self-report questionnaires

Urgency, Premeditation, Perseverance, &

Sensation Seeking (UPPS)

Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS)

Eysenck Impulsiveness Scale (EIS)

Behavioral Constraint factor of Multidimensional

Personality Questionnaire

+Measuring Sensation Seeking

Self-report questionnaires

Zuckerman’s Sensation Seeking Scales (SSS)

14 different forms

Many language translations

SSS-V

Four subscales

Thrill & Adventure Seeking (TAS)

Experience Seeking (ES)

Disinhibition (DIS)

Boredom Susceptibility (BS)

+Measuring Sensation Seeking

Self-report questionnaires

Zuckerman-Kuhlman Personality Questionnaire

Sociability

Neuroticism-Anxiety

Impulsive Sensation Seeking

Aggression Hostility

Activity

+Zuckerman-Kuhlman

Personality Questionnaire

I like to have new and exciting experiences and sensations even if they are

a little frightening

I like doing things just for the thrill of it

I enjoy getting into new situations where you can’t predict how things will

turn out

I would like to take off on a trip with no preplanned or definite routes or

timetables

I tend to begin a new job without much advance planning on how I will do it

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Genetic

Biological

Social

Psychophysiological

Behaviors

Attitudes

Preferences

Sensation Seeking Model

+Sensation Seeking Behaviors

Behaviors that elicit increased amounts of stimulation

Pursuing stimulating jobs, using drugs, driving recklessly

Involve seeking out arousal

Associated risk

Risk taking, however, is not primary motive in behavior

+Behavior, Activities & Attitudes

Occupational choice

Recreation

Lifestyle choices

Sports

Social Interactions

+Relation to Big 5

Positive correlations

SSS-V & Openness to Experience (r = .45) of NEO-PI-R

Overall & each subscale (especially ES)

Negative correlations

SSS-V Disinhibition & Agreeableness (r = -.40)

SSS-V Boredom Susceptibility & Agreeableness

(r = -.048)

+Relation to Eysenck’s PEN

Psychoticism scale of EPQ relates to

experience-seeking scores of SSS-V

Extraversion scale of EPQ relates to Thrill &

Adventure Seeking scores of SSS-V

+‘Bad’ & ‘Good’ Sensation Seeking

Impulsive, unsocalized sensation seeking (ImpUSS)

Disinhibition, Experience Seeking & Boredom

Susceptibility of SSS-V & Psychoticism of EPQ

Those high on these scales tend to be nonconforming,

nonconventional & lack planning skills

Less sensitivity to risk

Non-impulsive, socialized sensation seeking

Thrill & Adventure Seeking of SSS-V

+Stimulating Occupational Choices

Jobs that are adventurous & non-conventional

Serve as source of arousal

Sensation seeking and Strong Vocational Interest Blank

High SS correlates with jobs involving

Novel situations

Stimulating surroundings

Unstructured tasks

Flexibility

+Stimulating Occupational Choices

Gender differences

High SS males: scientific or social service careers

Psychologist

Psychiatrist

Social worker

Females: negative relationship between SS scores &

traditional occupations (housewife, teacher)

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High Thrill & Adventure Seeking & Dishibition scores

Firefighters

Mountain & mine rescue squads

Race car drivers

Mountain climbers

Parachutists

Stimulating Occupational Choices

+Stimulating Occupational Choices

New sensations & experience, less risk

Journalist, movie double, surgeon

Elevated scores on SSS-V overall, Thrill & Adventure

Seeking & Boredom susceptibility

High schoolers with high TAS scores rated jobs with

risk as more desirable

Aircraft pilot, policeman, army officer

+Habits Related toSensation Seeking

High sensation seeking related to

Fighting

Drug use

Drunk driving

Seatbelt usage

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Lack of external stimulation

Boredom with surroundings

May lead to substance abuse

Sensation seeking and alcohol usage

High scores on Disinhibition & Experience Seeking

related to alcohol abuse

Relationship between behavioral disinhibition,

preference for sensation seeking & drinking habits

Habits Related toSensation Seeking

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Peer sensation seeking and individual drug usage

Mutual attraction to various experiences

Risky sexual situations

High sensation seekers have more sexual partners,

permissive sexual attitudes & are less likely to use

protection

Habits Related toSensation Seeking

+Hobbies: Sports & Recreation

Sensation seekers & socially acceptable means

Listening to arousing music

Volunteering for experiments

Traveling

Enjoying unusual or unpleasant art forms

Rock climbing

Scuba diving

Hang gliding

+Biology of Sensation Seeking

Interactions between neurotransmitter systems

Dopamine systems

Reward-driven learning, pleasure/euphoria

Serotonergic systems

Mood, memory, sleep, cognition

Gonadal hormones

Sexual maturation

+Biology of Sensation Seeking

Rat models

Exploratory behavior: novelty seeking

High responders (HR): high locomotor reactivity

More self-administration of amphetamines than

low responders

Increased levels of catecholamine after stressor

+Biology of Sensation Seeking

Research with human participants

Relationship between Disinhibition & Experience

Seeking scores of SSS-V and

dopamine/serotonergic systems

High SS: lower cortisol responses

High SS: high stress resistance, higher threshold

of sensitivity to aversive stimulation, lower

hypersensitivity & lower irritability

+Biology of Sensation Seeking

Association between gonadal hormones &

scores on SSS

Males: Disinhibition scores related to androgen &

estrogen levels

Females: Disinhibition scores related to follicular &

luteal estrogens

+Reliability of SSS-V

(Deditius-Island & Caruso, 2002)

Reliability generalization study

Analysis of typical reliability scores & factors associated

with variability

Subscale with lowest reliability: Boredom Susceptibility

Mean of .62 & Median of .61

Inadequate for all applications by any criterion

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Older Ps tend to demonstrate scores with higher

reliability for

ES, BS & overall

Scores for SSS-V scales are less reliable than would

be desired

Many studies have omitted reliability coefficients for

score means

Reliability of SSS-V(Deditius-Island & Caruso, 2002)

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Improvements are needed

Researchers seem to just assume that scores will be

reliable because that is what has been indicated in

previous samples (reliability induction problem)

Reliability of SSS-V(Deditius-Island & Caruso, 2002)

+Important Implications

Reduce negative health consequences

Provide non-risky options that still provide

adequate levels of arousal

Intervention programs