Sensation Seeking Scale (SSS)

Zuckerman, M., Eysenck, S. B. J., & Eysenck, H. J. (1978). Sensation seeking in England and America: Cross-cultural, age, and sex comparisons. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 46(1), 139-149. doi: 10.1037/0022-006X.46.1.139


Table of Contents

Description

History of Use

References

Description:

Purpose
The SSS was designed to assess the personality traits of thrill and adventure seeking, disinhibition, experience seeking, and susceptibility to boredom. It is actually a revision of Zuckerman et al.'s (1964) original measure. Because the constructs of the SSS are presumed to contribute to risk preferences, it is used both as a measure of the personality constructs in and of themselves and as a measure of risk preferences.
Questions
40 items using forced-choice format.
Sub-scales
4 sub-scales:
  • Thrill and Adventure Seeking (TAS): desire to engage in sports or activities involving speed and danger
  • Disinhibition (Dis): desire for social and sexual disinhibition
  • Experience Seeking (ES): desire for experience through the mind and senses, travel, and a non-conforming lifestyle
  • Boredom Susceptibility (BS): aversion to repetition, routine, and dull people
Domain

Psychometrics

Sample items
  • I often wish I could be a mountain climber. (TAS)
  • I like wild "uninhibited" parties. (Dis)
  • People should dress in individual ways even if the effects are sometimes strange. (ES)
  • I can't stand watching a movie that I've seen before. (BS)

References:

Scale:
  • Zuckerman, M., Eysenck, S. B. J., & Eysenck, H. J. (1978). Sensation seeking in England and America: Cross-cultural, age, and sex comparisons. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 46(1), 139-149. doi: 10.1037/0022-006X.46.1.139
  • Zuckerman, M., Kolin, E. A., Price, L., & Zoob, I. (1964). Development of a sensation-seeking scale. Journal of Consulting Psychology, 28(6), 477-482. doi: 10.1037/h0040995
Selected Uses:
  • Andrew, M., & Cronin, C. (1997). Two measures of sensation seeking as predictors of alcohol use among high school males. Personality and Individual Differences, 22(3), 393-401. doi: 10.1016/S0191-8869(96)00214-0
  • Deditius-Island, H. K., & Caruso, J. C. (2002). An examination of the reliability of scores from Zuckerman's Sensation Seeking Scales, Form V. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 62(4), 728-734. doi: 10.1177/0013164402062004012
  • Ferrando, P. J., & Chico, E. (2001). The construct of sensation seeking as measured by Zuckerman's SSS-V and Arnett's AISS: A structural equation model. Personality and Individual Differences, 31(7), 1121-1133. doi: 10.1016/S0191-8869(00)00208-7
  • Gray, J. M., & Wilson, M. A. (2007). A detailed analysis of the reliability and validity of the Sensation Seeking Scale in a UK sample. Personality and Individual Differences, 42(4), 641-651. doi: 10.1016/j.paid.2006.08.019
  • Haynes, C. A., Miles, J. N. V., & Clements, K. (2000). A confirmatory factor analysis of two models of sensation seeking. Personality and Individual Differences, 29(5), 823-839. doi: 10.1016/S0191-8869(99)00235-4
  • Jackson, J. S. H., & Maraun, M. (1996). The conceptual validity of empirical scale construction: The case of the Sensation Seeking Scale. Personality and Individual Differences, 21(1), 103-110. doi: 10.1016/0191-8869(95)00217-0
  • Perez, J., Ortet, G., Pla, S., & Simo, S. (1986). A Junior Sensation Seeking Scale (J-SSS). Personality and Individual Differences, 7(6), 915-918. doi: 10.1016/0191-8869(86)90095-4
  • Simpson, W. K., & Pychyl, T. A. (2009). In search of the arousal procrastinator: Investigating the relation between procrastination, arousal-based personality traits and beliefs about procrastination motivations. Personality and Individual Differences, 47(8), 906-911. doi: 10.1016/j.paid.2009.07.013
  • Trimpop, R. M., Kerr, J. H., & Kirkcaldy, B. (1999). Comparing personality constructs of risk-taking behavior. Personality and Individual Differences, 26(2), 237-254. doi: 10.1016/S0191-8869(98)00048-8
  • Zarevski, P., Marusic, I., Zolotic, S., Bunjevak, T., & Vukosav, Z. (1998). Contribution of Arnett's Inventory of Sensation Seeking and Zuckerman's Sensation Seeking Scale to the differentiation of athletes engaged in high and low risk sports. Personality and Individual Differences, 25(4), 763-768. doi: 10.1016/S0191-8869(98)00119-6
  • Zuckerman, M. (2007). The Sensation Seeking Scale V (SSS-V): Still reliable and valid. Personality and Individual Differences, 43(5), 1303-1305. doi: 10.1016/j.paid.2007.03.021

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