Unsocialized Sensation Seeking Research Articles

Genetic association study within the framework of Zuckerman's psychobiological personality model

Following Zuckerman's psychobiological personality model, a series of genetic association hypotheses between some polymorphisms of Serotonin, Testosterone, Dopamine, MAO-A and COMT, and three temperamental traits (Impulsive Unsocialized Sensation Seeking, Neuroticism, and Extroversion-Sociability) were tested. In order to surpass previous limitations of this kind of studies: 1) the measurement of the phenotype was improved by using eight personality scales, and 2) some statistical analyses were conducted to test conjointly the effects of the considered polymorphisms. 252 participants from two samples (147 male inmates, and 105 male healthy volunteers) were analyzed. A tendency in the theoretical expected direction is reported when several polymorphisms are considered conjointly. The discussion section recommends applying more integrative frameworks to explore the complex paths from genetics to behavior.

Distinguishing Impulsive, Unsocialized Sensation Seeking

In 1994 Zuckerman proposed an impulsive and unsocialized form of sensation seeking. Studies considering physical risk seekers (prosocial and antisocial) associate this dimension with Eysenck’s psychoticism (P) and neuroticism (N), as well as with the following subtraits from Zuckerman’s model of sensation seeking: experience seeking (ES), disinhibition (Dis), and boredom susceptibility (BS). The present study explores the structure of sensation seeking in representative samples of males taken from the general population (N = 397) and male prison inmates (N = 183). The results focus on three main points of interest. First, prison inmates score significantly higher in all dimensions (except on E, as measured by the EPQ-R). Second, factor analysis findings show a two factor solution. Dis, ES, and thrill and adventure seeking (TAS) load on the first factor, and this happens for both samples. P, BS, and Dis load on the second factor. These factors are correlated. Finally, a stepwise discriminant analysis shows a 75% rate of correct classifications regarding the distinction between offenders and nonoffenders.

Risk-taking behaviour and criminal offending: an investigation of sensation seeking and the Eysenck personality questionnaire.

This study investigated relationships between hostility, Zuckerman's sensation seeking, and Eysenck and Eysenck's personality scales within a prison population, to explore whether they could be conceptualized in terms of two socialized and unsocialized sensation seeking factors. Participants included 79 incarcerated adult male offenders (age range = 18-62). Findings support the distinction between socialized and unsocialized sensation seeking and suggest that these factors represent more overarching personality factors. Psychoticism was a clear marker of the more broad impulsive, unsocialized sensation seeking factor, rather than representing a supertrait in its own right. This factor was also represented by lie, disinhibition, and boredom susceptibility scales. Findings relating to hostility also supported such a reformulation, as unsocialized scales did cluster together to predict the unsocialized hostility factor, whereas unsocialized scales did not. The results demonstrate the need for a theoretical reformulation of the two given theories of personality.

The Underlying Traits of the Karolinska Scales of Personality (KSP)

Summary: This research studies the factor structure of the Karolinska Scales of Personality (KSP) and its location within Eysenck's three broad dimensions of personality: psychoticism, extraversion, and neuroticism. A series of factor analyses and structural equations with the KSP and the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire-Revised (EPQ-R) scales were carried out. The relationships between KSP and other biologically rooted personality traits (Zuckerman's sensation seeking and Gray's sensitivity to punishment) were also investigated. The results showed four underlying traits of the KSP: negative emotionality, aggressive nonconformity, impulsive unsocialized sensation seeking, and social withdrawal. Negative emotionality was mainly related to neuroticism; aggressive nonconformity was associated with psychoticism and, to a lesser degree, with neuroticism; impulsive unsocialized sensation seeking was correlated with both psychoticism and extraversion; and social withdrawal was principally related to low extraversion.

Embedding sensation seeking within the big three

While Sensation Seeking is a construct which loads on both Extraversion (E) and Psychoticism (P), it is not clear whether Sensation Seeking can be reduced to E and P and whether all of its subfactors necessarily load on the same factor(s). We therefore decided to investigate the relationship among these. The 682 participants comprised a heterogeneous sample. They completed the SSS (Form V) and then the EPQ-R-S (short version of the revised EPQ). Factor analysis of the EPQ-R-S revealed simple structure, with 46 of the 48 items being correctly located on their respective factors. Analysis of the SSS also revealed simple structure, with 31 of the 40 items being correctly located on their respective factors. When the items from the EPQ-R-S and SSS were combined in one analysis, using a 4-factor constraint, we could identify these as follows: The first factor entailing items from 3 SSS scales (ES, Dis and BS) and 2 EPQ scales (L and P), could be referred to as Impulsive Unsocialized Sensation Seeking (P-ImpUSS). The second was identified as N; the third was identified as E; and the fourth as TAS. Thus it is P which loads on P-ImpUSS, with TAS being distinct from the latter.

Is the distinction between primary and secondary sociopaths a matter of degree, secondary traits, or nature vs. nurture?

AbstractPsychopathy has as its central traits socialization, sensation seeking, and impulsivity. These are combined in a supertrait: Impulsive Unsocialized Sensation Seeking (ImpUSS). Secondary types are defined by combinations of ImpUSS and neuroticism or sociability. All broad personality traits have both genetic and environmental determination, and therefore different etiologies (primary as genetic, secondary as environmental) for primary and secondary sociopathy are unlikely.

Prosocial and antisocial aspects of personality

Physical risk taking activities can be classified along a continuum ranging from prosociality to antisociality, the risky sports being in an intermediate point of that hypothetical dimension. The present study was aimed at identifying the personality variables common to those who engage in physical risky activities, and those that differentiate among the groups along the continuum. The sample consisted of 77 antisocial risk takers incarcerated for having committed armed robbery, 332 risky sportsmen, 170 prosocial risk takers, and 54 subjects not engaged in any risky activity. Subjects were administered the Sensation Seeking scale, the EPQ, the Impulsiveness scale of the IVE, the Socialization scale of the CPI, and the Susceptibility to Punishment and Reward scales. Discriminant analysis identified three functions. The antisocials were located in an Impulsive Unsocialized Sensation Seeking dimension characterized by poor socialization, neuroticism, disinhibition, and impulsivity. The three risk taking groups had high scores on a Venturesomeness function characterized by high thrill and adventure seeking and extraversion. The prosocials were characterized by low scores on experience seeking and psychoticism, representing the search for experience by a conforming life style.

P-impulsive sensation seeking and its behavioral, psychophysiological and biochemical correlates.

Impulsive unsocialized sensation seeking (ImpUSS) is a major factor discovered in factor analyses of scales used in psychobiological research. It is strongly convergent with Eysenck's P dimension and conscientiousness in the 'big five'. The components of the dimension and the P scale, have been validated as correlates of various kinds of disinhibited behaviors, criminality, sexuality, and substance use and abuse. ImpUSS is related to a failure in passive avoidance learning, probably as a function of impulsivity and attention to reward stimuli. Psychophysiological markers for the trait include strong orienting and weak defensive reflexes and an augmenting, rather than reducing, of cortical reaction to intense stimuli. At the neurochemical level the trait is related to low levels of monoamine oxidase (MAO) and the neurotransmitters norepinephrine and serotonin, and theoretically high levels of dopaminergic activity. The trait components have high heritabilities for a personality trait.

What is a basic factor and which factors are basic? Turtles all the way down

Criteria for a “basic factor” of personality include: (1) reliable identification of the dimension factor across methods, genders, ages; (2) at least moderate heritability; (3) identification of similar kinds of behavioral traits in non-human species; and (4) association of the trait biological trait markers. The conventional five factor model has not gone far beyond the first of these. An alternative five factor model has been developed from factor analyses of traits selected from psychobiological studies of personality; it includes the basic factors of sociability, neuroticism-anxiety, impulsive unsocialized sensation seeking, aggression-hostility and activity. Universal factors are likely to have biological bases. Personality traits must be studied at all biological levels from the behavioral to the genetic.

Biological markers for the components of the psychopathy (P-impulsive, unsocialized sensation seeking) dimension of personality

Recent factor analytic studies have confirmed Eysenck’s broad P dimension of personality, as well as the long established supertraits of extraversion and neuroticism. The component narrower traits of P-ImpUSS are: autonomy, sensation seeking, impulsivity, aggression, and lack of socialization and responsibility. Biological markers related to at least one of these component traits include: augmenting of the cortical evoked potential (EP) , high levels of gonadal hormones, and low levels of the enzymes monoamine oxidase (MAO) and dopamine-beta-hydroxylase (DBH), the serotonin metabolite 5-HIAA, and norepinephrine (NE) and cortisol in the cerebrospinal fluid. The personality traits show evidence of moderate heritability, while some of the biological markers like MAO and DBH show very high genetic determination. Cortical arousal and conditionability may be low in persons high on impulsivity. Both human and animal studies suggest that low levels of serotonin and an EP augmenting pattern are related to the inability to restrain approach behavior in a conflict situation, deficiency in passive-avoidance learning, and inability to delay gratification. The psychopath (antisocial personality) is seen as the extreme case on this psychobiological dimension of personality.