Abstract
Considering sensation seeking as a personality trait has led to the driving of a series of studies on the biological and temperamental characteristics of sensation seekers. Conversely, from a bio-psychosocial perspective, personality factors are believed to account for about half of the likelihood that an individual will engage in disadaptive and dangerous actions, whereas environmental factors, such as primary relationships, interact with the person’s biology and affect the extent to which genetic factors exert their influence. On the light of these considerations, the present study explored the unique and common contributions of temperament and quality of attachment measured from 15 years old through the propensity of sensation seeking at 17 years old. The research involved 320 participant, from 14 to 16 years of age at wave 1, and 282 (16 to 18 years, 88% of the total sample) at wave 2. Data showed that negative affect at T1 emerged as a significant positive predictor of sensation seeking at T2. Moreover, dismissing attachment at T1 was positively related to thrill seeking at T2. Finally, dismissing attachment at T1 played a mediating role in the relationships between negative affect and lack of control and thrill seeking two years later. Starting from the results of the present study, treatment of adolescent in which sensation seeking may be seen as predictive of problematic behaviors may be based on the reorganization of the personal model of attachment. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2015.v6n2s1p260
Highlights
Findings of recent studies on risky behaviors have shown a reliable link between high sensation-seeking behavior and engagement in risk-taking behaviors during adolescence (Zuckerman, 2007)
Linear regression analyses were carried out to explore the contribution of temperament and attachment scores in predicting sensation seeking, and to examine whether quality of attachment mediated the relationship between temperament and level of sensation seeking, we used traditional methods of testing mediation, including Baron and Kenny’s four-step approach to mediation (Baron and Kenny, 1986) and the Sobel’s test (Sobel, 1982), as well as a bootstrapping method with bias-corrected confidence intervals (Preacher and Hayes, 2004) to further investigate the significance of these mediation effects
The purpose of this study was to examine the role played by temperamental traits and quality of attachment in sensation seeking during adolescent development, focusing on the unique and common contributions of the different independent variables
Summary
Findings of recent studies on risky behaviors have shown a reliable link between high sensation-seeking behavior and engagement in risk-taking behaviors during adolescence (Zuckerman, 2007). An increasing number of adolescents and young people are fascinated by intense stimuli and strong sensations (VV.AA., Eurispes, 2012). Sensation-seekers are characterized by low sensitivity to stimuli and in need of high levels of stimulation to maintain an optimal state of arousal. To the extent that individuals need sensations, they engage in behavior that increases the amount of stimulation they experience, and they are likely to take risks to that end. Data have highlighted that high sensation-seekers report significant levels of violent behavior (Lynne-Landsman et al, 2011; Pace et al, 2013), abuse of illegal substance, alcohol use and risky sexual behaviors (Baiocco et al, 2009; Laghi et al, 2013)
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