Higher Levels Of Sensation Seeking Research Articles

Sensation seeking and drinking game participation in heavy-drinking college students

Previous research has identified differences between heavy-drinking students who play drinking games and those who do not. Johnson, Wendel, and Hamilton (1998) suggested that heavy-drinking players may correspond to Cloninger's (Cloninger, 1987) Type II alcoholic and that heavy-drinking nonplayers resemble Type I. The current study predicted that (a) sensation seeking would be associated with greater frequency of play and greater frequency of negative consequences from play and that (b) heavy-drinking students who play drinking games would be higher in sensation seeking than heavy-drinking students who do not play. A sample of 172 female and 84 male college students completed the Sensation Seeking Scale Form V, questions about quantity and frequency of alcohol consumption, and questions regarding drinking game participation. Higher levels of sensation seeking predicted greater frequency of play even after controlling for overall quantity and frequency of consumption. Sensation seeking was also related to specific motives for play. Men who were higher in sensation seeking experienced more negative alcohol-related consequences as a result of play. In women, but not in men, heavy-drinking players were higher in sensation seeking than heavy-nondrinking nonplayers. The results of the current study do not clearly support Cloninger's model, but they are consistent with other research concerning the role of sensation seeking and risk taking in contributing to negative alcohol-related consequences. Personality style likely interacts with social norms and contextual factors in influencing drinking game participation and consequences of play.

PERSONALITY CORRELATES OF PARANORMAL BELIEF: LOCUS OF CONTROL AND SENSATION SEEKING

In order to more fully understand the relationship between paranormal belief, locus of control, and sensation seeking, 81 undergraduate university students were administered the Paranormal Belief Scale (PBS), Rotter's Locus of Control Scale, and the Sensation Seeking Scale. Results indicated that a greater external locus of control was associated with greater overall number of paranormal beliefs. Greater external locus of control was especially associated with the PBS subscales of spirituality and precognition. Contrary to expectations, belief in superstition was associated with a greater internal locus of control. Whereas overall sensation seeking was not related to overall PBS scores, the PBS subscales of greater belief in psi phenomena and superstition were found to be associated with higher levels of sensation seeking. Results are discussed in relation to conceptualizations of the different personality/belief constructs.

An Investigation of the Relationship Between Need for Affect and Responses to Alcohol Public Service Announcements

ABSTRACT The study investigates the impact of the Need for Affect personality construct on the processing of advertisements. The purpose of the present study is to gain a better understanding of how need for cognition, sensation seeking, and affect intensity as well as prior product use influence consumer responses to public service announcements. Specifically, the study attempts to improve the understanding of factors that should be considered in efforts to successfully demarket alcohol abuse among college students. The variables of need for cognition, sensation seeking, affect intensity, prior product use, memory of the advertising message, attitude toward the ad, intention to behave, and behavior are linked to create a multidimensional model. Results of the study indicate that high levels of sensation seeking and prior product use are the best predictors of behavior involving the specific product of alcoholic beverages. Need for cognition and affect intensity are not good predictors of behavior involving the specific product of alcoholic beverages. Sensation seeking is also an important indicator for prior product use of alcoholic beverages and intention to buy and consume alcoholic beverages. Although affect intensity does not have a significant effect on behavior, it does have a significant effect on memory of the advertising message.

Psychosocial differences between occasional and regular adolescent users of Marijuana and Heroin

Data on marijuana and heroin use were obtained from 969 adolescents in Hong Kong, part of them being offenders. Very high drug use prevalence rates were found, which is due to the unique population studied. All but two of the heroin users were incarcerated youth. Drug use frequencies were highly associated with psychosocial variables such as sensation seeking, peer drug use, family drug use, susceptibility to peer pressure, perceived control to gain access to drugs, intention to try other substances, and perceived adverse consequences of drug use. Interactions were found indicating, for example, that regularly marijuana using girls and occasionally heroin using girls were characterized by higher levels of sensation seeking and susceptibility to peer pressure than their male counterparts. Polysubstance use was generally related to high levels of psychosocial vulnerability factors. The exclusive use of marijuana was associated with high susceptibility to peer pressure and with perceived control to gain access to drugs. The findings reflect a complex interplay of psychosocial variables with substance use in adolescents that, however, cannot be generalized beyond this particular sample in Hong Kong.

Three profiles of heavy metal fans: A taste for sensation and a subculture of alienation

Profiles of three fans of heavy metal music are presented, in order to examine the definition and boundaries of the heavy metal subculture. It is suggested on the basis of these profiles that a high level of sensation seeking can lead to a liking for heavy metal music, because the music provides such high-intensity sensation. However, fans become part of thesubculture of heavy metal music only to the extent that their high sensation seeking is combined with alienation. Although all three people profiled enjoyed the high sensation qualities of the music, their involvement in the subculture varied according to the depth of their alienation. Jack, deeply alienated, was deeply committed to the subculture. Brian's alienation was moderate, and his involvement in the subculture was moderate as well. Marvin was not alienated in the least, and was essentially outside the subculture.

The Soundtrack of Recklessness

Adolescents with various musical preferences were compared. Adolescents who preferred hard rock or heavy metal music reported higher rates of reckless behavior, including driving while intoxicated, driving over 80 miles per hour, sex without contraception, sex with someone known only casually, drug use, shoplifting, and vandalism. Preferences for hard rock or heavy metal music were also associated with higher levels of sensation seeking, negative family relationships, and, among girls, low self-esteem. In regression analyses, sensation seeking was related to reckless behavior, whereas the relation between reckless behavior and musical preferences was no longer significant, except for sex without contraception. It was concluded that adolescents who are high in sensation seeking are attracted to hard rock and heavy metal music as well as to reckless behavior perhaps because of the high intensity of sensadon provided by these ewperiences.

Patterns and predictors of simultaneous and concurrent use of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and hallucinogens in first-year college students.

Polydrug use produces important health and safety risks. Little research has examined whether multiple drugs are used simultaneously (at the same time or in close temporal sequence). Instead, researchers have assessed concurrent polydrug use (the use of multiple drugs within a given time period such as years or months). The research here examined patterns and predictors of both simultaneous and concurrent polydrug use in 575 first-year college students. Both concurrent and simultaneous polydrug use were common for alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana. The percentage of concurrent polydrug users who were also simultaneous polydrug users ranged from 82% to 93% across subgroups defined by gender and the use of a single drug. Male gender, high levels of sensation seeking, and frequent alcohol use predicted single-drug versus polydrug use status as well as simultaneous polydrug use. Patterns and predictors of simultaneous and concurrent polydrug use should be addressed in prevention research and preventative interventions.