The Neurobiology of Impulsive Sensation Seeking: Genetics, Brain Physiology, Biochemistry, and Neurology

I was originally asked to write this chapter on the “Neurobiology of Personality,” but on reflection realized that this was too broad a topic to be covered in a short chapter. I therefore decided to focus on a specific personality trait which I have studied for about 40 years. Those interested in the broader field of the “Psychobiology of Personality” may consult my book on this subject (Zuckerman, 1991) or my chapter in the recently published Handbook of Psychology (Zuckerman, 2003). Another volume devoted to sensation seeking and its “behavioral correlates and biosocial bases” can be consulted for a more extensive exposition on the trait (Zuckerman, 1994). The definition of sensation seeking in this book is: “… a trait defined by the seeking of varied, novel, complex, and intense sensations and experiences, and the willingness to take physical, social, legal, and financial risks for the sake of such experience” (p. 27).