Sensation Seeking and Psychophysiological Responses to Auditory Stimulation

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study tested the hypothesis that the orienting response (OR) is one of the biological correlates of sensation seeking. Skin conductance (SC), heart rate (HR), and peripheral vasomotor (VM) activity were recorded while ten 60dB, 1000 Hz, slow‐rise‐time tones were presented to male subjects with high (N = 16) and low (N = 15) total scores on Form V of the Sensation Seeking Scale (SSS). There were no significant differences between groups in the SC or VM responses to the first (novel) tone or in the rate at which these responses habituated. The HR response to the first tone was deceleration (an OR) for the high SS group (as well as for a high Disinhibition subgroup), while the response of the low SS group (and a low Disinhibition subgroup) included what appeared to be startle components—a short‐latency accelerative response that habituated rapidly on subsequent trials. It is suggested that individuals with low sensation seeking tendencies may be unusually prone to startle, and that subsequent research on the biological correlates of sensation seeking should take into account individual differences in the tendency to give orienting, defensive, and startle responses.

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