Sensation Seeking

Introduction

The first sensation seeking scale (SSS) was based on the hypothesis that there were consistent individual differences in optimal levels of stimulation and arousal (Zuckerman et al., 1964). The construct of an optimal level of stimulation was first decribed by Wundt at the end of the 19th century and translated into physiological terms by Hebb in the middle of the 20th century. Hebb (1955) also developed an idea of an optimal level of arousal based on the interaction between sensory stimulation and the reticulocortical activation system, a homeostatic neurological system regulating the arousal level of the cortex needed for effective cue function. The development of the first form (II) of the SSS was based on Hebb's construct trying to translate it into behavioural and preference ...