Behavioral Expressions and Biosocial Bases of Sensation Seeking

This book is concerned with a trait that describes variations in the need for novel and intense stimulation and its expression in risky kinds of behaviour.

Marvin Zuckerman (Author)

9780521437707, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 24 June 1994

480 pages, 67 b/w illus. 50 tables
22.9 x 15.2 x 2.7 cm, 0.7 kg

"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

This book is about a trait describing variations in the universal need for novel and intense stimulation and its expressions in various risky kinds of behaviour (including driving habits, health, gambling, financial risk, alcohol and drug use and abuse, sexual behaviour, and sports). Sensation seeking is also important in preferences for various vocations, media forms and content, food, humour and social attitudes. Compatibility in the trait influences premarital and marital relationship satisfaction. Its modes of assessment, behavioural expressions, and genetic and psychobiological bases are described by one of the leading researchers in this field. 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.

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.

Subject Areas: Animal behaviour [PSVP], Psychiatry [MMH], Physiological & neuro-psychology, biopsychology [JMM], Psychological theory & schools of thought [JMA]