Sensation Seeking
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Transcript of Sensation Seeking
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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)
+
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