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So far, we've explored a lot about sensation seeking.
We've discussed the definition and the history of sensation seeking.
And we've examined the biological and
environmental components, the habits of high sensation seekers, and
how high sensation seeking might impact relationships.
In this last section,
we'll tackle one of the most challenging questions about high sensation seeking.
Is high sensation a super power, or a super problem?
Before we do, let's do a quick little recap.
Remember, there are four components of sensation seeking.
Thrill and adventure seeking is the desire to engage in activities involving some
physical danger or risks.
Experience Seeking is a quest for sensations of the mind and of the senses.
Disinhibition is your ability to be unrestrained.
And boredom susceptibility, how easy you get bored and
how irritated you get when you get bored.
And a quick review of the biochemistry that drives this personality trait.
You remember that those with high sensation seeking personalities
have lower levels of stress hormones, like cortisol, and
higher levels of pleasure neurotransmitters, like dopamine.
Their behavioral activation system is more sensitive,
making them more susceptible to reward.
And their less sensitive behavioral inhibition system leads them to perceive
environments as less risky.
This biochemical combination leads to high sensation seekers quest for
highly stimulating environments like these, but can also be associated with
some other personality traits that high sensation seekers exhibit.
Sensation seekers tend to have high degree of autonomy.
Their lower behavioral inhibition systems may lead them to
perceive the environment as less risky, so
they may tend to believe that they can handle most things all on their own.
Sensation seekers are more likely to be independent from social conventions.
Those that score high in experience seeking sometimes surround themselves with
unconventional friends, and they can be unconventional as well.
Many high sensation seekers embrace differences.
Some high sensation seekers are pretty fearless too.
I've met some high sensation seekers who say they hardly ever feel fear.
Having that underactive BIS can really come in handy.
It's not like they're brave, it's more likely they aren't experiencing
the emotion of fear as much as someone with an overactive BIS might, like me.
High sensation seekers can be independent, active, and curious.
Feeling less fear and being excited by differences
can power some high sensation seekers curiosity and their active lifestyles.
High sensation seekers can much more easily activate their coping skills.
Because high sensation seekers are flooded with stress hormones and
they can kick into problem solving more and
more quickly that those whose anxiety might cause them to freeze up.
So is it a super power?
This personality attributes can be advantageous, but
can have some problems as well.
In this lesson, we'll take a look at each side of this question and
you'll be able to differentiate between healthy and unhealthy sensation seeking.
You'll be able to describe how high sensation seeking can influence driving
behavior.
You'll be able to describe how high sensation seeking
can influence addictive behaviors.
Describe how high sensation seeking can influence worry and anxiety, and
you'll evaluate high sensation seeking as a super power or a super problem.
Kenneth CarterProfessor of Psychology
