Distinguishing Impulsive, Unsocialized Sensation Seeking
A Comparison between Criminal Offenders and the General Population
Abstract
In 1994 Zuckerman proposed an impulsive and unsocialized form of sensation seeking. Studies considering physical risk seekers (prosocial and antisocial) associate this dimension with Eysenck’s psychoticism (P) and neuroticism (N), as well as with the following subtraits from Zuckerman’s model of sensation seeking: experience seeking (ES), disinhibition (Dis), and boredom susceptibility (BS). The present study explores the structure of sensation seeking in representative samples of males taken from the general population (N = 397) and male prison inmates (N = 183). The results focus on three main points of interest. First, prison inmates score significantly higher in all dimensions (except on E, as measured by the EPQ-R). Second, factor analysis findings show a two factor solution. Dis, ES, and thrill and adventure seeking (TAS) load on the first factor, and this happens for both samples. P, BS, and Dis load on the second factor. These factors are correlated. Finally, a stepwise discriminant analysis shows a 75% rate of correct classifications regarding the distinction between offenders and nonoffenders.
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