Tell me more: Sensation seeking and information seeking in evaluating romantic partners

Abstract

This study examined whether sensation seekers differ in the quantity and quality of information they seek about potential romantic partners. Young adults ( N = 393) each evaluated nine written descriptions of potential partners. Partners were described with only attractive characteristics, with only risky characteristics, or with attractive and risky characteristics. Individuals higher in sensation seeking rated the potential partners as more attractive and gave higher likelihood ratings of going on a date and having sex, but lower likelihood ratings of becoming infected with an STD/HIV. Further, after exposure to the written partner descriptions, sensation seekers sought more additional information about the potential partners compared to lower sensation seekers, but were no more likely to specifically request information about partners’ risky characteristics.