Sensation Seeking Beyond the Optima Level of Arousal

480 Pages·2016·7.33 MB·English

by  Marvin Zukerman

Psychology Revivals

Sensation Seeking

Originally published in 1979, this title represents a summary of 17 years of research
centring around the Sensation Seeking Scale (SSS) and the theory from which the
test was derived. Now an integral part of personality testing, including adaptations
for use with children, this reissue is a chance to see where it all began.
Sensation Seeking
Beyond the optimal level of arousal

Marvin Zuckerman
First published in 1979
by Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
This edition first published in 2015 by Psychology Press
27 Church Road, Hove, BN3 2FA
and by Psychology Press
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Psychology Press is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
Copyright © 1979 by Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
The right of Marvin Zuckerman to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance
with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright , Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any
electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording,
or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.
Publisher’s Note
The publisher has gone to great lengths to ensure the quality of this reprint but points out that some imperfections
in the original copies may be apparent.
Disclaimer
The publisher has made every effort to trace copyright holders and welcomes correspondence from those they
have been unable to contact.
A Library of Congress record exists under ISBN: 0470268514
ISBN: 978-1-84872-469-3 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-315-75549-6 (ebk)
ISBN: 978-1-84872-779-3 (pbk)
SENSATION SEEKING:
Beyond the Optimal Level of Arousal

MARVIN ZUCKERMAN
University of Delaware

DISTRIBUTED BY THE HALSTED PRESS DIVISION OF
JOHN WILEY & SONS
New York Toronto London Sydney
©
Copyright 1979 by Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, by photostat, microform, retrieval
system, or any other means, without the prior written permission of the publisher
Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc., Publishers
365 Broadway
Hillsdale, New Jersey 07642
Distributed solely by Halsted Press Division
John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Zuckerman, Marvin.
Sensation seeking.
Bibliography: p.
Includes indexes.
1. Senses and sensations—Testing.
2. Arousal (Physiology)—Testing. I. Title.
BF233.Z82 152.1′076 79-18788
ISBN 0-470-26851-4
Printed in the United States of America
To the memory of Eli Zuckerman
Contents

Preface
1. Introduction
Models of Personality and Their Sources
The Use of Tests to Define Personality
Sensation Seeking—Overview of the Book
Definition of Sensation Seeking
2. Theoretical Background
Instinct and Drive Approaches
Optimal Level of Stimulation and Arousal Theories
Stimulus Change or Arousability Theories
Two-Factor Excitation Versus Inhibition Theories
Summary
3. Sensory Deprivation: A Testing Ground For Optimal Level Theory
Arousal in Sensory Deprivation
Stimulus Seeking in Sensory Deprivation
The Effects of Prolonged Sensory Deprivation in Early Life
An Optimal Level Personality Theory Applied to Sensory Deprivation
Conclusions
4. Development of the Sensation Seeking Scales: A Historical Overview
Introduction
Forms I and II
Forms III and IV
Form V
Reliabilities of the Trait Forms
Sensation Seeking and Anxiety State Scales
Summary
5. Demographic Differences
Age Differences
Sex Differences
National–Cultural Differences
Regional College Differences
Racial Differences
Educational Differences
Summary
6. The Relationships Between the SSS and Other Trait Measures
Introduction
Convergent Validity Correlations With Similar Test Constructs
Multivariate Personality Tests
Multivariate Tests of Psychopathology
Other Traits
Discriminant Validity—Social Desirability
Summary
7. Risk-Taking Activities
Volunteering for Experiments and Activities
Sensory Deprivation
Hypnosis and Meditation
Physical Risk Taking
Phobic Risk
Gambling
Mobility and Traveling
Life Stress
Summary
8. Sensation, Perception, and Cognition
Sensory and Perceptual