Sensation Seeking Scale Scores Research Articles

Association between Mood and Sensation Seeking Following rTMS.

Previous studies investigating mood changes in healthy subjects after prefrontal repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) have shown largely inconsistent results. This may be due to methodological issues, considerable inter-individual variation in prefrontal connectivity or other factors, e.g., personality traits. This pilot study investigates whether mood changes after rTMS are affected by personality parameters. In a randomized cross-over design, 17 healthy volunteers received three sessions of 1 Hz rTMS to Fz, F3 and T3 (10/20 system). The T3 electrode site served as the control condition with the coil angled 45° to the scalp. Subjective mood was rated at baseline and after each condition. Personality traits were assessed using the NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI) and the Sensation Seeking Scale (SSS). For all conditions, a significant association between mood changes towards a deterioration in mood and SSS scores was observed. There were no differences between conditions and no correlations between mood changes and NEO-FFI. The data show that sensation-seeking personality has an impact on subjective mood changes following prefrontal rTMS in all conditions. Future studies investigating the effects of rTMS on emotional paradigms should include individual measures of sensation-seeking personality. The pre-selection of subjects according to personality criteria may reduce the variability in results.

Sensation seeking, sexual orientation, and drug abuse symptoms in a community sample of emerging adults.

Increased use of drugs is associated with a number of factors including high sensation seeking and sexual minority status (through group-specific minority stress). We sought to examine how personality traits like sensation seeking may influence drug abuse among sexual minority individuals. Participants were 217 emerging adults (Mage = 20.23, SD = 0.85) recruited from Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk). Of these participants, 67.7% identified as heterosexual, 9.7% as gay or lesbian, 21.2% as bisexual, and 1.4% indicated other sexual orientations. Sensation seeking and drug abuse were self-reported using the Brief Sensation Seeking Scale and the Drug Abuse Screening Test, respectively. A preliminary multiple analysis of variance indicated no significant mean differences for these variables as a function of sex or sexual orientation. Next, sexual minority status, Brief Sensation Seeking Scale scores, sex and their interactions were entered into a linear regression predicting Drug Abuse Screening Test scores. Results revealed a significant moderation, such that the positive relationship between Brief Sensation Seeking Scale total scores and Drug Abuse Screening Test total scores was stronger for sexual minorities (β = 0.14, P = 0.00) compared to heterosexuals (β = 0.04, P = 0.04), controlling for sex. These results demonstrate, while sensation seeking and sexual minority status may selectively indicate risk for drug use, sexual minorities high in sensation seeking may be at especially high risk for problems related to drug abuse. More research examining the addiction etiology of sexual minority individuals would inform targeted interventions for this population.

The difference of event related potential between the male university students with higher and lower CCK-8 levels under task of sensation seeking for finding a new face

Objective To observe the brain event-related potential(ERP) differences between high and low CCK-8 groups who induced by feeling seeking task to found a new face, and try to find a new way to treat addiction. Methods 100 boys were d rawn from the new students in Maritime University in Dalian city. High and low CCK-8 Groups were divided according to the CCK-8 level ranking by Quartile method((176.80±118.05)mmol/L, (43.13 ±13.35)mmol/L; t=3.90; P=0.00).25 boys in each group, age ranged 19-21 years old, and they were right-handed and with normal vision. Methods ERP induced by the task of sensation seeking to fond a new face, and ERP result was recorded. Subjects behaviors were evaluated by error rate and reaction time for the new face task stimuli, sensation seeking scale scores between the higher and lower CCK-8. SPSS 15.0 soft ware was used in the data analysis. Behavior results were analyzed by t test, and the three mixed factors interaction of the areas of the brain (left, right)×lobes (frontal region, central, parietal area)×groups (high, low CCK-8) with repeated measures analysis of variance. Results P300 was induced by new face finding task.Main effects of brain areas was significant (F(1.60, 35.21)=6.61, P=0.01); and lobes main effect was significant (F(1.51, 33.17)=3.41, P=0.26). Significant interaction was found between the brain lobes and the brain regions(F(2.01, 44.12)=13.27, P=0.00); and interaction effect was significant between the lobes, areas and groups(F(2.01, 44.12)=2.97, P=0.06). Conclusion CCK8 can influence the sensation seeking, and the higher levels of CCK8, the higher power of sensation seeking. Key words: CCK-8; A new face finding; Boys; Sensation seeking scale; EREP

Sensation Seeking in Long‐Term Abstinent Alcoholics, Treatment‐Naïve Active Alcoholics, and Nonalcoholic Controls

Elevated sensation seeking is associated with the development of alcohol dependence; however, it has not been studied in long-term abstinent alcoholics. In the current study, we examine sensation seeking in middle-aged long-term abstinent alcoholics (LTAA) and in younger actively drinking treatment-naïve alcoholics (TxN). A modified version of the Sensation Seeking Scale (SSS) was administered to 52 middle-aged LTAA (average age = 46.6 years) and 86 younger TxN (average age = 31.2 years), each study with its own age and gender comparable nonalcoholic controls (NAC). The SSS was modified to remove items specifically associated with alcohol or drug use. The associations between the SSS and alcohol use and deviance proneness were examined. The 2 NAC samples did not differ on the SSS, allowing the 2 NAC samples to be combined into a single control group (NAC = 118), and the LTAA and TxN samples to be directly compared without concern for cohort effects. LTAA did not differ from NAC on the SSS; however, the TxN group had higher SSS scores compared with NAC on all subscales except Boredom Susceptibility. Sensation seeking was comparably associated with lower socialization in each group. The results suggest that either sensation seeking normalizes with long-term abstinence or that relatively normal levels of sensation seeking predict the ability to achieve long-term abstinence. In either case, the results have important implications for our understanding of long-term abstinence.

Incentive‐elicited striatal activation in adolescent children of alcoholics

Deficient recruitment of motivational circuitry by non-drug rewards has been postulated as a pre-morbid risk factor for substance dependence (SD). We tested whether parental alcoholism, which confers risk of SD, is correlated with altered recruitment of ventral striatum (VS) by non-drug rewards in adolescence. During functional magnetic resonance imaging, adolescent children of alcoholics (COA; age 12-16 years) with no psychiatric disorders (including substance abuse) and similarly aged children with no risk factors responded to targets to win or avoid losing $0, $0.20, $1, $5 or a variable amount (ranging from $0.20 to $5). In general, brain activation by either reward anticipation or outcome notification did not differ between COA and age/gender-matched controls. Cue-elicited reward anticipation activated portions of VS in both COA and controls. In nucleus accumbens (NAcc), signal change increased with anticipated reward magnitude (with intermediate recruitment by variable incentives) but not with loss magnitudes. Reward deliveries activated the NAcc and mesofrontal cortex in both COA and controls. Losses activated anterior insula bilaterally in both groups, with more extensive right anterior insula activation by losses in controls. NAcc signal change during anticipation of maximum rewards (relative to non-reward) correlated positively with both Brief Sensation-Seeking Scale scores and with self-reported excitement in response to maximum reward cues (relative to cues for non-reward). Among adolescents with no psychiatric disorders, incentive-elicited VS activation may relate more to individual differences in sensation-seeking personality than to presence of parental alcoholism alone. Future research could focus on adolescents with behavior disorders or additional risk factors.

Personality correlates of startle habituation

This study investigated the relationship between extraversion and rates of acoustic startle habituation, a potential biological marker for individual differences. Personality was measured using the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ), the Sensation Seeking Scale (SSS), and Tellegen's Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire (MPQ). Higher EPQ Extraversion and higher SSS scores were associated with faster, more rapid startle habituation. Moreover, the relationship between extraversion and faster startle habituation was replicated in a second, follow-up sample. Within the initial study sample, lower scores on the Constraint (CON) factor of the MPQ (reflecting greater impulsiveness, risk-taking, and nonconformity) were also associated with faster startle habituation. Follow-up analyses revealed relationships between EPQ Extraversion, SSS, and low MPQ CON. These results suggest that faster habituation within the CNS may be associated tendencies toward impulsivity and behavioral disinhibition.

Sensation seeking as a common factor in opioid dependent subjects and high risk sport practicing subjects. A cross sectional study

Objective: Animal research has outlined a vulnerability trait to drug dependence like behavior. The behavioral characteristic of this vulnerability is hyperactivity in response to a novel environment of which sensation seeking (SS) has been suggested as a possible equivalent in humans. If this is the case, SS should be more frequent in drug dependent and risky sports practicing subjects then controls. The objective of this study was to determine if opioid dependent subjects (ODS) and regular paragliders (RP) would be more SS then normal controls. Design: Cross sectional study. Participants: Three groups of 34 individuals (total 102) matched for age and sex were selected from ODS seeking treatment, a paragliding club, and a college staff. Main outcome measures: Global and sub-scores of the Zuckerman sensation seeking scale (SSS). Results: Non parametric statistics (Kruskal Wallis and Wilcoxon 2-Sample Tests) were used given the non-normal distribution of SSS scores in the ODS and RP groups. Significant differences were found across the three groups for the Thrill and Adventure Seeking (TAS) ( P=0.001), dishinibition (Dis) ( P=0.0003) and total score ( P=0.001). ODS and RP scored significantly higher than controls on two (Dis and the TAS scales). RP also scored significantly higher on the Boredom Susceptibility (BS) scale ( P=0.04). Conclusion: Our results show that RP and ODS differ from controls and have some similarities based on the SSS. In this study, the ODS and the RP could express different forms of a general tendency to seek intense and abrupt sensations through various behaviors. Our results in humans are in favor of the hypothesis that the behavioral trait of vulnerability to drug dependence behavior is expressed through SS.

Association study of serotonin transporter gene regulatory region polymorphism and alcoholism.

Previous studies have indicated associations between a functional biallelic repetitive element in the 5' regulatory region of the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTTLPR) and alcoholic subjects who have either dissocial personality disorder or severe withdrawal symptoms. To replicate these associations under the hypothesis that genetic polymorphism plays some role in the susceptibility or vulnerability of some subgroup of alcoholics, the associations between alcoholic subjects' genetic polymorphisms, clinical characteristics, and personality traits were examined. This case control study comprised 697 alcoholic and 270 control subjects. A questionnaire focusing on family and social background, history of drinking and alcohol withdrawal, DSM-III-R criteria for the evaluation of psychiatric conditions, and Feighner's criteria for the lifetime diagnosis and assessment of overall severity of alcoholism was administered to 373 alcoholic subjects. Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) and Sensation Seeking Scale (SSS) were used to evaluate the other 324 alcoholics. The frequency of the homozygous short allele was significantly higher in alcoholic binge drinkers than in nonbinge drinking alcoholics. There were no significant differences in the frequencies of either the 5-HTTLPR genotype or the short vs. long allele in alcoholic and control subjects. The alcoholics' 5-HTTLPR genotype and allele frequencies did not differ significantly by the severity of withdrawal symptoms or by the number of positive Feighner's diagnostic criteria. Although these results indicate an association between 5-HTTLPR and a subgroup of alcoholics characterized by binge drinking, the authors found no differences in SSS and TCI subscale scores for alcoholics with different 5-HTTLPR genotypes. Future studies of the association in other alcoholic population should take into account personality traits.

Association between temperamental characteristics and medication adherence in subjects presenting with psychotic or mood disorders

The links between temperamental characteristics and medication adherence were explored in subjects with psychotic ( n=45) or mood disorders ( n=58). Temperamental characteristics were measured using the Sensation-Seeking Scale (SSS), the Barratt Impulsivity Scale and the Physical Anhedonia Scale. Higher general SSS scores, and disinhibition and boredom susceptibility SSS subscores were associated with a greater risk to present with poor medication adherence.

Sensation seeking, gambling and gambling addictions.

Male off-course bettors were assessed using: the Sensation-Seeking Scale (SSS) Form V, two measures of subjective arousal while betting, and questions concerning chasing, preferences for gambling activities and other aspects of betting behaviour. The SSS was also administered to a random sample of the male general population of Glasgow, together with questions concerning preferences for gambling activities to allow comparison between regular gamblers and the general population. In comparison with the general population and with non-gamblers, off-course bettors scored lower on SSS; gamblers preferring the casino and/or the race-track scored higher on SSS; gamblers betting on many different forms scored higher on SSS. A further analysis produced a cluster of variables among off-course bettors associated with impaired control of gambling, among which both SSS scores and chasing were prominent features.

Measuring volunteers for exciting psychology experiments with the Sensation-Seeking Scale.

The sensation-seeking motive was first operationalized by Zuckerman, Kolin, Price, and Zoob (1964) with the development of the Sensation-Seeking Scale (SSS). One area of applied research in which the SSS has been used is the study of volunteering. In this area, evidence suggests that high-sensation seekers volunteer for exciting activities more often than low-sensation seekers, but not for unexciting activities. However, a problem with this research is that no empirical data has been obtained related to the subject's belief of the exciting nature of the activities. In this study, college students were given the most recent form of the SSS and were asked to volunteer for either or both of two studies. SSS scores were higher, p less than .05, for volunteers than for nonvolunteers for a study that subjects rated as exciting, but did not differ for a study that subjects rated as unexciting. This demonstrates that volunteers for exciting studies, but not volunteers for unexciting studies, tend to be higher sensation seekers than nonvolunteers.

Sensation-seeking scale scores in treated geriatric depressives and controls

Personality traits in geriatric depressives may differ from normal controls (Abrams et al. 1987). However, evidence for such differences is limited in mixed-age depressives, and the nature of these differences could be complex (von Zerssen 1982; Akiskal et al. 1983). Moreover, major depression in the elderly may differ from that in younger adults (Alexopoulos et al. 1988). Level of preferred environments variety and complexity (Berlyne 1966; Zuckerman et al. 1978, 1980) is potentially interesting in elderly patients. Age-related social and health changes may be especially stressful for individuals with preference for high environmental stimuIation. The Sensation-Seeking Scale (Zuckerman et al. 1978, 1980) (SSS) assesses likely expressions of “high or low optimal levels of stimulation and arousal in preferences, interests, and activities.” Test-retest reliability has been documented in normals (Zucke~an et al. 1980). SSS scores have received some validation using behavioral and biological measures (Zuckerman et al. 1980). Scores are lower in older than in younger normals (Zuckennan et al. 1978, 1980); in aged animals, behavior motivated by envi-

Antisocial and prosocial behavior among contemporary Robin Hoods

Sensation-seeking and related personality traits have been linked to both dedliquency and helping behavior. This suggests that certain stimulus-need characteristics are capable of producing both antisocial and prosocial behavior in the same individual. Forty-nine eigth-grade students in a midwest parochial school completed the Junior Eysenck Personality Inventory, the Sensation Seeking Scale (SSS) and a Deliquency Self-report Form. They were placed into either a low- or a high-stimulus condition, tested for a anxiety and sensation-seeking states and a given request to volunteer.As predicted, Deliquency scores were significantly related to the incidencee of volunteering. Volunteers and delinquents, especially drug users, had significantly higher SSS scores than nonvolunteers and nondelinquents. The high-stimulus condition also had a significantly higher proportion of volunteers. Other relationships were found between N and Anxiety, and E and SSS scores,. Results are discussed in terms of interaction of personality characteristics with stimulus conditions, the ‘Robin Hood Syndrome’ and treatment implications.

Cannabis use and sensation-seeking orientation.

Cannabis use and its relationship with sensation-seeking orientation was investigated in 48 college and university students of both sexes. Users and nonusers were matched for sex, age, and education. Cannabis users scored higher on all the four subscales of the sensation-seeking scale (SSS). Analysis of covariance controlling for the use of alcohol, cigarettes, and LSD decreased the level of significance between the user and nonuser groups on all the subscales and the total SSS scores; however, the differences between the user and nonuser remained significant on the disinhibition subscale and the total SSS scores.

Sensation seeking and drug choice.

Sensation Seeking Scale scores were obtained from two groups of drug program clients: polydrug users and opiate and depressant drug users. The major findings were that polydrug users scored higher in sensation seeking than depressant users, and that this effect was independent of demographic differences between groups. These results suggest that the sensation-seeking motive may be a significant factor for polydrug, but not depressant, abuse patterns.

Sensation seeking and psychopathology

A sample of 2,115 persons responded to an article in a popular magazine by taking the Sensation Seeking Scale (SSS) and supplying personal information by mail, including data about past treatment, hospitalization, and diagnosis of psychiatric disorders. Subjects falling into certain diagnostic categories were closely matched with controls from the same sample who reported no history, treatment, or diagnosis of disorder. SSS scores were not related to general psychopathology, unipolar depression, schizophrenia, or neurosis, but were found to be elevated in persons reporting a history of manic-depressive or sociopathic spectrum (including alcoholism and drug abuse) disorder.

Personality traits in chronic pain patients related to endorphin levels in cerebrospinal fluid

Interindividual differences in endorphin levels may relate to widespread changes in adaptive processes, and endorphin levels may thus be related to personality traits. In 40 patients with chronic pain syndromes of both psychogenic and organic origin, endorphin levels in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were determined, and the patients completed Eysenck's Personality Inventory (EPI) and the Cesarek Marke Personality Scheme. Twenty-seven of the patients also completed the Zuckerman Sensation Seeking Scale (SSS). As a comparison group 30 healthy volunteers completed the personality inventories. The chronic pain patients were characterized by guilt feelings, need for order, low need for autonomy, and low tendency toward sensation seeking. Low levels of endorphins in CSF were found in patients with high scores on all the subscales in the SSS and low scores on the neuroticism subscale in the EPI.

Use of the Sensation-Seeking Scale with Thai Subjects

This report describes the use and validation of the Sensation-Seeking Scale (SSS) with Thai Ss. Based upon anthropological and popular reports about Thailand, it was predicted that (a) Thai students would have lower SSS scores than American students, (b) Buddhist monks would have lower scores than Thai students, and also (c) Thai students in teacher-training schools would have lower scores than those in schools of commerce. The first two hypotheses were confirmed; the third was not. In addition, Thai males had significantly higher SSS scores than females. The advantages of the SSS as a measuring instrument are discussed.