Engaging High-Sensation Seekers: The Dynamic Interplay of Sensation Seeking, Message Visual-Auditory Complexity and Arousing Content

Abstract

This study extends the research on message-sensation value (MSV) by treating it as a dynamic stream of complex visual-auditory information and arousing content (MSV-d). Real-time attentional and emotional responses to this dynamic stream during the PSA viewing process are indicated by psychophysiological measures. Dynamic models are used to systematically examine endogenous and exogenous influences on message processing to more accurately understand the effects of MSV-d variables and individuals' sensation seeking tendencies during the processing of the PSAs. An important finding is that generally, increasing visual-auditory complexity activates an approach tendency in those with high sensation-seeking tendencies but activates an avoidance tendency in those with low sensation-seeking tendencies, and this response pattern is moderated by arousing content.