Sensation seeking
Sensation seeking is a
Components
Sensation-seeking can be divided into four traits:[5][2]
- Thrill- and adventure-seeking: Desire for outdoor activities involving unusual sensations and risks, such as skydiving, scuba diving, high-speed driving and flying.
- Experience-seeking: Referring to new sensory or mental experiences through unconventional choices, also including psychedelic experiences, social nonconformity and desire to associate with unconventional people.
- Disinhibition: Preference of "out of control" activities such as wild parties, drinking and illegal activities
- Boredom susceptibility: intolerance of repetition or boring people, and restlessness in such conditions.
The most recent version of the Sensation Seeking Scale (SSS-V) has demonstrated moderate validity and reliability.[6] It has been adapted for use with children.[7]
Relationship to personality models
Zuckerman began researching the personality trait he came to call "sensation seeking" in 1969. Zuckerman argues that sensation-seeking is one of a handful of "core traits" that can be used to describe human personality. Although other researchers including
In Zuckerman's
Features
Zuckerman's research has found that high sensation seekers tend to seek high levels of stimulation in their daily lives. The scale predicts how well people tolerate sensory deprivation sessions. Sensation seeking increases with age from childhood to adolescence. Studies indicate it increases between 10-15 years and remains stable or declines thereafter.[13] However, boredom susceptibility remains stable across the life span, unlike the other facets of sensation seeking.[8]
Substantial gender differences have been found in sensation seeking, with males scoring significantly higher than females.[8] In American samples, males significantly outscored females in total sensation seeking, thrill and adventure seeking, boredom susceptibility, and disinhibition. Studies in Australia, Canada, and Spain found similar gender differences in total sensation seeking, thrill and adventure seeking and boredom susceptibility.
Marital status is also related to sensation seeking, as studies have found that divorced males tend to be higher in the trait compared to single or married men.[8]
Behaviour
Sensation seeking is related to driving speed, with both males and females high in sensation seeking more likely to engage in
Alcohol use has been linked to sensation seeking, especially the disinhibition and experience seeking subscales.[8] Peer influences and sensation seeking appear to mutually reinforce each other in their influence on substance use. Research has found that peer sensation seeking levels are predictive of drug use. Furthermore, individuals are likely to associate with peers whose sensation seeking levels are similar to their own, further influencing drug and alcohol use.[8]
High sensation seekers tend to engage in high-risk sexual behavior such as having
High sensation seekers prefer listening to arousing music such as hard rock rather than classical instrumental.[8] High sensation seekers are also more likely to enjoy surreal paintings over representational ones[15] or unpleasant art forms (defined as presence of violent or aggressive content or themes of death and despair).[16]
Occupational choices
Sensation seekers tend to prefer occupations involving novel, stimulating, and unconventional activities and unstructured tasks requiring flexibility, such as scientific and social service professions. Low sensation seekers tend to prefer more structured, well-defined tasks involving order and routine such as homemaking or teaching.[8]
See also
- Extreme sport – Class of sport
- Impulsivity – Tendency to act on a whim without considering consequences
- Low arousal theory – Psychological theory
References
- ^ ISBN 978-1-59385-647-2.
- ^ S2CID 210359660.
- ^ "Sensation Seeking Scale (SSS)". Decision Making Individual Differences Inventory (DMIDI). Retrieved 14 July 2012.
- ^ Larsen, Randy J.; David. M. Buss (2008). Personality Psychology; Domains of Knowledge about human nature (3rd ed.). New York: McGraw Hill. p. 223.
- ^ "Decision Making Individual Differences Inventory - Sensation Seeking Scale". sjdm.org.
- .
- .
- ^ .
- ^ de Vries, R.E., de Vries, A., & Feij, J.A. (2009). Sensation seeking, risk-taking, and the HEXACO model of personality. Personality and Individual Differences, 47, pp. 536-540.
- .
- PMID 20732903.
- S2CID 15174682.
- PMID 18999337.
- .
- .
- .
Further reading
- Patoine, Brenda (October 2009). "Desperately Sensation Seeking: Fear, Reward, and the Human need for Novelty". Dana Foundation. Archived from the original on 2013-10-25.
- ISBN 978-0-470-26851-3.
- Zuckerman, M. (1983). Biological Bases of Sensation Seeking, Impulsivity and Anxiety. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
- Zuckerman, M. (1991). Psychobiology of Personality. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
- Zuckerman, M. (2007). Sensation Seeking and Risky Behavior. American Psychological Association. ISBN 978-1-59147-738-9.
- Zuckerman, Marvin (November 1, 2000). "Are You a Risk Taker?". Psychology Today. Retrieved 2023-12-30.