Behavioral Expressions and Biosocial Bases of Sensation Seeking

by Marvin Zuckerman

Overview

Sensation seeking is a trait describing the tendency to seek novel, varied, complex, and intense sensations and experiences and the willingness to take risks for the sake of such experience. The first sensation seeking scale (SSS) was developed in the early 1960s and since that time the instrument and the theory of the trait have evolved as a function of continuing research around the world. The author describes the research and theory on sensation seeking with emphasis on new findings since 1979. Researchers have found behavioral expressions of sensation seeking in various kinds of risk-taking behaviors such as driving habits, health, gambling, financial, alcohol and drug use, sexual behavior, and sports. The trait is also involved in vocational preferences and choices, job satisfaction, social, premarital and marital relationships, eating habits and food preferences, media and art preferences, humor, fantasy, creativity and social attitudes. The author here describes its modes of assessment, behavioral expressions, and genetic and psychobiological bases. This book presents the only available study of this fascinating topic and it will be sure to interest researchers and their students active in personality research.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521432009
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	06/24/1994
Pages:	480
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.40(d)

Table of Contents

1. Theory through 1979; 2. Test development; 3. Sensation seeking in relation to other dimensions of personality; 4. Demographic data; 5. Risk taking; 6. Sports and vocations; 7. Social, sexual, and marital relationships; 8. Vicarious experience: art, media, music, fantasy, and humour; 9. Smoking, drinking, drugs, and eating; 10. Psychopathology and stress; 11. Biological bases; 12. Psychophysiology; 13. Information processing, cognitive styles, intelligence and creativity; 14. New theoretical models; References.

Editorial Reviews

"Anyone curious about the utility of a unified field of psychology should read Zuckerman's stellar book on sensation seeking...I find it hard to imagine a psychologist who would not learn something of real value from this book." Contemporary Psychology

"It is rare to see strong coverage of a topic that spans measurement, sensation, perception, motivation, cognition, learning, clinical and biological studies....Zuckerman makes a successful case for psychology. This work provides one-stop shopping for researchers and applied psychologists who need to catch up on the progress made since his previous book on sensation seeking....Behavioral Expressions and Biosocial Bases of Sensation Seeking is a highly successful unified psychology of an individual difference variable....I find it hard to imagine a psychologist who would not learn something of real value from this book." Allan R. Karkness, Contemporary Psychology

From the Publisher