Eastern Kentucky University
Sensation Seeking Personality Influences Deceptive Acts
Institution
Eastern Kentucky University
Faculty Advisor/ Mentor
Adam Lawson
Abstract
During pregnancy, an increase in Sensation seeking reflects the need for varied, novel, and complex sensations and experiences (Zuckerman, 1990). Four sub-traits encompass sensation seeking including thrill and adventure seeking (TAS), experience seeking (ES), disinhibition (DI), and boredom susceptibility (BS). Research has shown that sensation seeking affects a person’s arousability of information, reflected by responses to intense and distinctive stimuli. For example, low sensation seekers react to intense stimuli in defensive manners, whereas high sensation seekers react in a more approach oriented manner. To our knowledge, no studies have examined how differences in sensation seeking affect deceptive acts. The current study explored the link between deception and the sub-traits of sensation seeking. To examine deliberate deception, the study had participants pretend to steal documents from an office, and then conceal their knowledge of the burglary but to otherwise respond truthfully. Results indicated that response accuracy was overall higher for deceptive than truthful responses. In terms of sensation seeking, the TAS and ES subgroups had significant results, though they had opposing relationships with the response time of deceptive responses. The TAS subscale had a positive relationship with response time, and the ES subscale had a negative relationship with response time. These results suggest that deceptive responding affects the TAS and ES sub-traits because individuals high in these dimensions tend to seek experiences that affect physical (TAS) or mental (ES) states. The act of deceiving may be more intriguing for these two subgroups since deceiving normally makes individuals nervous. This nervous reaction affects individuals differently who seek out physical and mental stimulation.
Sensation Seeking Personality Influences Deceptive Acts
During pregnancy, an increase in Sensation seeking reflects the need for varied, novel, and complex sensations and experiences (Zuckerman, 1990). Four sub-traits encompass sensation seeking including thrill and adventure seeking (TAS), experience seeking (ES), disinhibition (DI), and boredom susceptibility (BS). Research has shown that sensation seeking affects a person’s arousability of information, reflected by responses to intense and distinctive stimuli. For example, low sensation seekers react to intense stimuli in defensive manners, whereas high sensation seekers react in a more approach oriented manner. To our knowledge, no studies have examined how differences in sensation seeking affect deceptive acts. The current study explored the link between deception and the sub-traits of sensation seeking. To examine deliberate deception, the study had participants pretend to steal documents from an office, and then conceal their knowledge of the burglary but to otherwise respond truthfully. Results indicated that response accuracy was overall higher for deceptive than truthful responses. In terms of sensation seeking, the TAS and ES subgroups had significant results, though they had opposing relationships with the response time of deceptive responses. The TAS subscale had a positive relationship with response time, and the ES subscale had a negative relationship with response time. These results suggest that deceptive responding affects the TAS and ES sub-traits because individuals high in these dimensions tend to seek experiences that affect physical (TAS) or mental (ES) states. The act of deceiving may be more intriguing for these two subgroups since deceiving normally makes individuals nervous. This nervous reaction affects individuals differently who seek out physical and mental stimulation.