Sensation seeking

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Sensation Seeking describes a multi-dimensional, relatively stable personality trait that is characterized by the behavioral tendency to make varied, new, complex and intense impressions ( sensation = 'sensory impression, sensation'), experiences and to visit situations and often (but not necessarily) taking on physical, psychological or social challenges or risks.

Sensation seeking is a physiologically based construct that goes back to Marvin Zuckerman (1964).

Sensation seeking is not necessarily associated with dangerous activities or behavior (J. Arnett, 1994) and can also be pronounced in more cautious, risk-avoiding people (→ " Experience Seeking "). Sensation-seeking, which is more scientifically oriented in terms of research, must be distinguished from thrill-seeking, which is primarily oriented towards the humanities / psychology and focuses on daring, often cross-border action.

It is believed that there is an optimal level of arousal for everyone . Arousal can be regulated by seeking out or avoiding stimulating stimuli. People with a low initial level of excitement tend to look for stimulating / exciting stimuli and are therefore referred to as sensation seekers. These people are constantly looking for new stimuli in order to be able to maintain the desired level of stimulation. This property can be measured by means of psychological tests using the so-called Sensation Seeking Scale ( SSS-V , M. Zuckerman et al. (1964); AISS , J. Arnett (1994); BSSS , RH Hoyle et al. , (2002); NISS , P. Hammelstein (2004)).

The term "sensation seeking" is divided into four further points:

  • " Thrill and adventure seeking " ( TAS ): physically risky activities,
  • " Experience seeking " ( ES ): new experiences, personal development, unconventional lifestyle (travel, music, drugs, self-awareness, foreign cultures, cognitive, sensory or emotional stimulation),
  • " Disinhibition (dt .: 'disinhibition') seeking " ( DIS ): variety through social stimulation (party, promiscuity , social drinking),
  • " Boredom susceptibility " (German: 'susceptibility to boredom'), ( BS ): aversion to routine and boredom and tendency to restlessness when the environment offers no more variety.

According to twin studies , on average about 70% of the interindividual differences with regard to the optimal level of excitation can be explained by genetic variance , the remaining 30% are attributed to environmental influences. The constant search for variety is particularly pronounced among younger people between the ages of 20 and 25. Furthermore, men are more inclined than women to “sensation seeking”.

Studies on the basis of feature films show that viewers rate films more positively when they experience tension and excitement (= " suspense effect", Huth 1978). In horror and erotic films, recipients apparently have an increased blood flow speed, which indicates increased arousal.

In a study using functional magnetic resonance imaging ( fMRI ), it was possible to show on the basis of a larger sample (188 people) that certain brain regions under risk decisions in Thrill - and Adventure Seekern show different activation patterns compared with less risk-prone people (Kruschwitz et al. , 2011) The neural differences found suggest a mechanism in the brain for Thrill and Adventure Seeker in which the neural signals of a potential profit at risk (e.g. a potential profit of 100 euros in a game of chance ), the influence of the neural response for a potential loss ( e.g. loss of 100 euros when gambling) and thus lead to risky decisions in behavior (e.g. decision to participate in gambling).

literature

See also

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Marvin Zuckerman (1988). Behavior and Biology: Research on Sensation Seeking and Reactions to the Media. In L. Donohew, HE Sypher and ET Higgins (Eds.): Communication, Social Cognition and Affect . Hillsdale, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum.
  2. ↑ Sensation Search - Lexicon of Psychology . ( Spektrum.de [accessed on August 27, 2017]).
  3. ↑ Marvin Zuckerman, et al .: Development of a sensation-seeking scale. Ed .: Journal of consulting psychology. tape 28 , no. 6 , 1964, pp. 477 ff .
  4. ↑ a b J. Arnett (1994): Sensation seeking: A new conceptualization and a new scale. Personality and Individual Differences , 16 (2), 289-296. doi: 10.1016 / 0191-8869 (94) 90165-1
  5. ^ Siegbert A. Warwitz :: Search for meaning in risk. Life in growing rings. Explanatory models for cross-border behavior. 2., ext. Edition. Schneider Hohengehren, edition: 2nd, expanded edition (June 1, 2016), ISBN 978-3-8340-1620-1 .
  6. ^ Siegbert A. Warwitz: sensational addiction or search for meaning. Thrill or skill . In: Ders .: Search for meaning in risk. Life in growing rings. Attempts to explain cross-border behavior . 2., ext. Edition, Verlag Schneider, Baltmannsweiler 2016, pp. 296–308
  7. ↑ Marcus Roth, Philipp Hammelstein ,: Sensation Seeking: Concept, Diagnostics and Application . Hogrefe, Göttingen 2003, ISBN 978-3-8017-1719-3 .
  8. ↑ RH Hoyle, MT Stephenson, P. Palmgreen, EP Lorch, RL Donohew (2002): Reliability and validity of a brief measure of sensation seeking. Pers. Indiv. Differences , 32, 401-414.
  9. ^ Peter Eachus: Using the Brief Sensation Seeking Scale (BSSS) to predict holiday preferences . In: Personality and Individual Differences . tape 36 , no. 1 , January 1, 2004, p. 141-153 , doi : 10.1016 / S0191-8869 (03) 00074-6 ( sciencedirect.com [accessed August 27, 2017]).
  10. ↑ Marcus Roth, Philipp Hammelstein ,: Sensation Seeking: Concept, Diagnostics and Application . Hogrefe, Göttingen 2003, ISBN 978-3-8017-1719-3 .
  11. ↑ Marcus Roth, Philipp Hammelstein ,: Sensation Seeking: Concept, Diagnostics and Application . Hogrefe, Göttingen 2003, ISBN 978-3-8017-1719-3 .
  12. ↑ JD Kruschwitz, AN Simmons, T. Flagan, MP Paulus, (2011): Nothing to lose: processing blindness to potential losses drives thrill and adventure seekers , NeuroImage, doi: 10.1016 / j.neuroimage.2011.09.048 .