Intensity seeking and novelty seeking: Their relationship to adolescent risk behavior and occupational interests

The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that individual differences in sensation seeking account for adolescents’ risk behavior and vocational interests. We relied on Arnett’s (1994) conceptualization of sensation seeking as involving a need for intensity and a need for novelty, neither of...

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Published inPersonality and individual differences Vol. 43; no. 8; pp. 2011 - 2021
Main Authors Mallet, Pascal, Vignoli, Emmanuelle
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.12.2007
Elsevier
Subjects
Adolescent
Biological and medical sciences
Cognitive science
Developmental psychology
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Intensity seeking
Novelty seeking
Psychology
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Risk behavior
Vocational interest
Vocational interest
Intensity seeking
Novelty seeking
Risk behavior
Human
Impulsivity
Choice
Sex
Personality
Risk taking
Sensation seeking
Adolescent
Predictive factor
Career
vocational interests
intensity seeking
adolescent risk behavior
occupational interests
sensation seeking
impulsiveness
novelty seeking
individual differences
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Summary:The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that individual differences in sensation seeking account for adolescents’ risk behavior and vocational interests. We relied on Arnett’s (1994) conceptualization of sensation seeking as involving a need for intensity and a need for novelty, neither of which includes the willingness to take risks. Self-report scales measuring intensity seeking, novelty seeking, impulsiveness, risk behavior and vocational interest were administered to 636 adolescents. New scales measuring intensity seeking (IS) and novelty seeking (NS) were used. Regression analyses showed that IS and to a lesser extent NS accounted for a small part of variance of risk behavior, independent of impulsiveness. IS and NS accounted for vocational interests. The discussion emphasizes the importance of disentangling sensation seeking as a trait from willingness to take risks when one intends to analyse the effect of the former on risk behavior.
ISSN:0191-8869
1873-3549
DOI:10.1016/j.paid.2007.06.018