Sensation seeking

We have already noted evidence for genetic factors that underlie the preference for and response to caffeine. These factors create a biologically based set of individual difference dimensions that may be modified by experience with the drug. In addition, there is evidence for a number of broader individual difference dimensions that appear to be relevant. These bipolar continua differentiate between subjects who are habitually high in arousal or arousability and those who are habitually low. The factors in question are personality dimensions that theoretically reflect underlying biological continua of arousal or arousability.238 Included among these dimensions are extraversion,58 impulsivity,239240 and sensation-seek-ing.94-241-242 We will take up the first two of these. 

Davidson, R. and Smith, B., Arousal and habituation Differential effects of caffeine, sensation seeking and task difficulty. Personality and Individual Differences 10(1), 111-119, 1989. 

Smith, B., Davidosn, R., Smith, D., Goldstein, H. and Perlstein, W., Sensation seeking and arousal Effects of strong stimulation on electrodermal activation and memory task performance. Personality and Individual Differences 6, 671-679, 1989. 

Zuckerman M (1994). Behavioral Expressions and Biosocial Bases of Sensation Seeking. Cambridge University Press, New York. 

Zuckerman M, Ball S, Black J. (1990). Influences of sensation seeking, gender, risk appraisal, and situational motivation on smoking. Addict Behav. 15(3) 209-20. 

On the basis of research on subjective or reinforcing effects of acnte nicotine, other individnal difference characteristics may moderate nicotine discrimination, snch as sensation-seeking personality in nonsmokers bnt not smokers (Perkins et al. 2000), or obesity status (Blendy et al. 2005). 

Perkins KA, Gerlach D, Broge M, Grobe JE, Wilson A (2000) Greater sensitivity to subjective effects of nicotine in nonsmokers high in sensation-seeking, Exp Chn Psychopharmacol 8 462-471... 

Impulsive, consisting of both aggressive and self-damaging acts, eating disorders, and sensation seeking, which includes substance abuse... 

At the same time, excessive novelty seeking or sensation seeking may be patently disadvantageous where behavioral inhibition is necessary to avoid predation or other dangerous circumstances. 

McCourt, William F., Ronald J. Gurrera, and Henry S. G. Cutter. 1993. "Sensation Seeking and Novelty Seeking Are They the Same " Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease 181 309-12. 

Zuckerman, Marvin. 1979. Sensation-Seeking Beyond the Optimal Level of Arousal. Hillsdale, N.J. Erlbaum. 

Behavioral Expressions and Biosocial Bases of Sensation Seeking. 

One personality characteristic that has received a lot of attention regarding its relationship to drug use is sensation seeking. Zuckerman (1979) defined sensation seeking as the need for aried, novel, and complex sensations and experiences and the willingness to take physical and social risks for the sake of such experience (p. 10). 

Four different aspects of sensation seeking have been discovered thrill and adventure seeking, experience seeking, disinhibition, and boredom susceptibiliu. ... 

Individuals who enjoy bungee jumping probably would score high on a measure of sensation seeking. 

Zuckerman, M. (1979). Sensation seeking Beyond the optimal level of arousal. New York John Wiley. 

Constitutional factors—There is evidence that personality characteristics such as sensation-seeking, poor impulse control, and low avoidance of harm are biologically based. These characteristics are associated with an increased risk of later substance abuse. In addition, it is likely that there is a genetic component to addiction. 

Dahlen, E.R., Martin, R.C., Ragan, K. Kuhiman, M.M. (2005) Driving anger, sensation seeking, impulsiveness, and boredom proneness in the prediction of unsafe driving. Accident Analysis [Pg.1191]

Be aware of the early warning signs of back strain. If you experience back pain, such as burning or shooting pain, numbness, or a tingling sensation, seek immediate medical attention. 

The qualitative model of behavioural adaptation (Rudin-Brown and Parker, 2004) was originally called the quantitative model of behavioural adaptation (Brown and Noy, 2004) and presented at an ICTTP conference in 2000. This model is aimed exclusively at explaining behavioural adaptation to in-vehicle driver-assistance systems, and suggests that driving experience is mediated via the trust the driver has in the driver-assistance system. This trust is affected by a driver s personality, particularly their locus of control and sensation-seeking characteristics. Drivers personality and their trust in the system then create their... 

The model itself is made up of five driver variables culture, attitude/personal-ity (primarily sensation seeking), experience, driver state (with a special focus on fatigue), and task demand. These variables interact with each other to produce driver behaviour and performance (with driver behaviour and performance represented as error propensity and reaction time). Driver behaviour then interacts with the road environment, made up of the traffic, the road conditions and the visibility, via the mediating influence of the vehicle, plus the result of their own, and their vehicle s, interaction with any available technological driver-assistance systems. 

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