This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Why are some people more drawn to new and exciting experiences than others? This phenomenon is usually explained by the fact that so-called "sensation seekers" experience stimuli less intensely than other people and therefore need intense experiences to feel alive.
However, the uncertainty of the experiences also plays a role, such as the thrill of not knowing what will happen. Horror films are a case in point: Part of the appeal lies in the intensity of the moment of fright, while another part lies in the fact that viewers do not know when the next scare is coming. A study in which TU Darmstadt played a key role now demonstrates the significance of both factors.
According to the study, "sensation seekers" differ not only in how much they value unfamiliar situations and strong sensory impressions but also in their reaction to the uncertain timing of this stimulation. The results provide new insights into the decision-making mechanisms behind the desire for the unknown, as lead author Dr. "'Sensation seeking' is often simply understood as the desire for more excitement," he says.
"However, our findings suggest that, to understand this personality trait, one must also consider the factor of temporal uncertainty." For the study, now published in the journal Communications Psychology, the researchers conducted two experiments. In these, participants were able to choose between options that differed in the probability of receiving a sensory stimulus. Using computer-based models, the research team was able to distinguish both the extent to which participants valued the stimulus itself and how they reacted to not knowing whether it would occur.
It emerged that people with a stronger tendency toward "sensation seeking" were less deterred by uncertain stimuli—although this depended on how much they valued the stimulus itself. If the stimulation was less important to them, they were more likely to choose unpredictable options. If, on the other hand, it was more important to them, they tended to prefer predictable stimulation.
Furthermore, people with a greater need for stimulation explored a wider range of options—while achieving slightly lower overall satisfaction. The researchers also compared sensation seeking with a related personality trait: impulsivity, which is likewise associated with risky behavior in everyday life. Although the two traits overlap, the experiment revealed different decision-making patterns: People with a strong inclination toward new experiences were generally less likely to avoid uncertain stimuli, while impulsive people exhibited the opposite pattern and avoided uncertainty to a greater extent.
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