Sensation-Seeking and Alcohol Use - Coursework Example

Running head: SENSATION-SEEKING Sensation-seeking and alcohol use Name: University: Course: Tutor: Date: Abstract Sensation-seeking is associated with likelihood of engaging in risky behaviours such as alcohol use and drug abuse. In this study, a sample 100 University students and members of general public were studied on sensation-seeking in relation to age, sex and alcohol use. Pearson correlation studies, Chi-Square test and independent t-test were carried out using SPSS to identify the relationship between the variables. The study shows that sensation-seeking decreases with age, sensation-seeking is higher in males than in females, alcohol use is dependent on sensation-seeking and increased alcohol taking is associated with high levels of sensation-seeking. Introduction According to Zuckerman and Kuhlman (2000, p. 1000), sensation-seeking is a personality trait is characterized by a tendency to seek “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.” Individuals with the sensation-seeking trait are likely to indulge in risky behaviours such as heavy drinking, risky sexual behaviours, and drug abuse. High sensation seekers perceive risks to be lower compared to low sensation seekers even if they have no prior experience in a particular activity. At the same time, high sensation seekers are less anxious when engaging in risky activities compared to low sensation seekers. Resultantly, high sensation seekers have a higher likelihood of being involved in risky behaviours than low sensation seekers (Zuckerman & Kuhlman, 2000). Ball, Farnill and Wangeman (1984) have shown that levels of sensation seeking are higher in males compared to females, with sensation-seeking tendencies declining with age. In this paper, it is hypothesized that sensation-seeking declines with increase in age. In addition, males have higher levels of sensation seeking than females. Alcohol use is dependent on levels of sensation seeking and increased alcohol taking is associated with high levels of sensation seeking. Method The population of this study comprised of University students and members of the general community. A sample size of 100 participants was selected (50 females and 50 males). Additionally, the youngest participant was 18 years old whereas the oldest participant was 52 years old. SPSS was used to analyze data in this study. Pearson correlation analysis was performed to determine the relationship between sensation-seeking and age. To determine the whether there is a significant difference between males and females on levels of sensation-seeking; an independent samples t-test was conducted. Chi-square analysis was used to determine whether levels of alcohol use are dependent on sensation-seeking group. To determine the degree and magnitude of the relationship between sensation-seeking and alcohol use, Pearson correlation was performed. Results Relationship between sensation-seeking and age According to Table I (see appendix), the mean age for the sample is 26.52 years with a standard deviation of 8.18. The mean sensation-seeking score for the same sample is 31.78 whereas the standard deviation is 6.21. One hundred-pair scores have been used to form a sample for the above working, hence N=100. The correlation coefficient between age and sensation-seeking score is a negative 0.215. This correlation coefficient is computed at 0.05 significance level and it is a 2-tailed test. The Pearson correlation coefficient between age and age is 1 and the correlation coefficient between sensation-seeking is 1. The Pearson correlation coefficient value of indicates a perfect association between two variables (age/age and sensation-seeking/sensation-seeking). Since there is no variation between age and age or sensation-seeking score and sensation-seeking score, then there is no significance level for these two pairs of variables. As a result, SPSS displays a dot (.). One hundred-pair scores have been used to form a sample for the above working, hence N=100 (Table 2). The Pearson correlation coefficient is significant because the value is beyond 0.05 level (2-tailed). The significance is large since it is greater than 0.05 (0.215>0.05). The negative correlation indicates that there is a reverse relationship between age and sensations-seeking score. Therefore as the age of an individual increases, the level of sensation-seeking decreases implying that a one percent increase in age causes a 21.50 percent decrease in the level of sensation-seeking (Table 2). Difference between males and females on sensation-seeking Sex of the participants is the independent variable in this analysis while sensation-seeking is the dependent variable. Table 3 indicates the mean for sensation-seeking for males is 34.20 whereas the mean for females is 29.36. The standard deviation for sensation-seeking for males is 4.84 whereas the standard deviation for females is 6.52. Fifty-pair scores have been used to form a sample for the above working, hence N=50. From Table 4, it is evident that Levene’s test for equality of variances is shown here. The Levene’s test for equality of variances of sex and sensation-seeking provides that the P-value is 0.02. The t-test value for equal variances is 4.212 and has an exact 2-tailed significance level of 0.000. The difference between sensation-seeking score for males and females is 4.84 (mean for male is 34.20 while that of females is 29.36). The t-test value (4.212) is almost equivalent to the mean difference for sensation-seeking in males and females (4.840). The 95% confidence interval of this difference is 2.559 to 7.121. (CI 95%; 2.559-7.121). Since this interval does not include zero, the difference is thus statistically significant at the 2-tailed 5 percent level. The P-value (0.000) of the t-value also shows that the mean sensation score for males and females is significantly different, that is to say P (0.000 Read More

To determine the degree and magnitude of the relationship between sensation-seeking and alcohol use, Pearson correlation was performed. Results Relationship between sensation-seeking and age According to Table I (see appendix), the mean age for the sample is 26.52 years with a standard deviation of 8.18. The mean sensation-seeking score for the same sample is 31.78 whereas the standard deviation is 6.21. One hundred-pair scores have been used to form a sample for the above working, hence N=100.

The correlation coefficient between age and sensation-seeking score is a negative 0.215. This correlation coefficient is computed at 0.05 significance level and it is a 2-tailed test. The Pearson correlation coefficient between age and age is 1 and the correlation coefficient between sensation-seeking is 1. The Pearson correlation coefficient value of indicates a perfect association between two variables (age/age and sensation-seeking/sensation-seeking). Since there is no variation between age and age or sensation-seeking score and sensation-seeking score, then there is no significance level for these two pairs of variables.

As a result, SPSS displays a dot (.). One hundred-pair scores have been used to form a sample for the above working, hence N=100 (Table 2). The Pearson correlation coefficient is significant because the value is beyond 0.05 level (2-tailed). The significance is large since it is greater than 0.05 (0.215>0.05). The negative correlation indicates that there is a reverse relationship between age and sensations-seeking score. Therefore as the age of an individual increases, the level of sensation-seeking decreases implying that a one percent increase in age causes a 21.

50 percent decrease in the level of sensation-seeking (Table 2). Difference between males and females on sensation-seeking Sex of the participants is the independent variable in this analysis while sensation-seeking is the dependent variable. Table 3 indicates the mean for sensation-seeking for males is 34.20 whereas the mean for females is 29.36. The standard deviation for sensation-seeking for males is 4.84 whereas the standard deviation for females is 6.52. Fifty-pair scores have been used to form a sample for the above working, hence N=50.

From Table 4, it is evident that Levene’s test for equality of variances is shown here. The Levene’s test for equality of variances of sex and sensation-seeking provides that the P-value is 0.02. The t-test value for equal variances is 4.212 and has an exact 2-tailed significance level of 0.000. The difference between sensation-seeking score for males and females is 4.84 (mean for male is 34.20 while that of females is 29.36). The t-test value (4.212) is almost equivalent to the mean difference for sensation-seeking in males and females (4.840). The 95% confidence interval of this difference is 2.559 to 7.121.

(CI 95%; 2.559-7.121). Since this interval does not include zero, the difference is thus statistically significant at the 2-tailed 5 percent level. The P-value (0.000) of the t-value also shows that the mean sensation score for males and females is significantly different, that is to say P (0.000

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