Sensation Seeking and Psychological Reactance as Health Risk Predictors for an Emerging Adult Population

• In Event: Sensation seeking and substance abuse

Abstract

Two personality traits, sensation seeking (SS) and psychological reactance (PR), were examined as predictors of health risk behaviors within an emerging adult population using items from the CDC's Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System. Both personality traits predict risky substance use behaviors, but only PR was found to predict risky sexual activity. SS and PR are discussed as critical personality variables in the design and evaluation of health risk messages targeting adolescent and emerging adult populations.

Authors

• Claude Miller, University of Oklahoma

• Brian Quick, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign