Risky behavior can be an expression of a normal, genetically influenced personality trait--sensation seeking. In this fascinating and accessible book, the author offers a comprehensive view of the role of sensation seeking in a wide range of behaviors, from risky driving sports through substance use, sex, crime, or other antisocial behaviors.

This book is about a trait describing variations in the universal need for novel and intense stimulation and its expressions in various risky kinds of behaviour (including driving habits, health, gambling, financial risk, alcohol and drug use and abuse, sexual behaviour, and sports). Sensation seeking is also important in preferences for various vocations, media forms and content, food, humour and social attitudes. Compatibility in the trait influences premarital and marital relationship satisfaction. Its modes of assessment, behavioural expressions, and genetic and psychobiological bases are described by one of the leading researchers in this field. This book presents the only available study of this fascinating topic and it will be sure to interest researchers and their students active in personality research.

Adolescence is a time when youth make decisions, both good and bad, that have consequences for the rest of their lives. Some of these decisions put them at risk of lifelong health problems, injury, or death. The Institute of Medicine held three public workshops between 2008 and 2009 to provide a venue for researchers, health care providers, and community leaders to discuss strategies to improve adolescent health.

Originally published in 1979, this title represents a summary of 17 years of research centring around the Sensation Seeking Scale (SSS) and the theory from which the test was derived. Now an integral part of personality testing, including adaptations for use with children, this reissue is a chance to see where it all began.

Significant developments within the past few years have made possible the publication of this rather large volume focusing on specific emotions of human experience, such as interest, joy, anger, distress, fear, shame, shyness, and guilt. The relevant events include new evidence on the relationship of emotions to cognitive processes and to personality traits and defense mechanisms. They also include discoveries relating to the biological foundations of emotions and theory regarding their significance in human evolution. Finally, there have been important findings on the role of emotions and emotion expressions in social relations, pain, grief, and psychopathology. These developments are elaborated in the pages of this volume. The contributors represent the disciplines of clinical, social, and experi mental psychology, psychiatry, and psychoanalysis. The contributions show important common themes that cut across disciplines, but they also reflect some differences that invite further thought and research. Above all, they add to our knowledge of human emotions and to our ability to understand and resolve human problems. The Department of Psychology of the University of Delaware has pro vided an excellent intellectual climate for work on a volume that ranges across several specialities and disciplines. Conversations with colleagues in the offices and hallways of Wolf Hall have provided answers to many questions. They also yielded some questions that compelled me to seek greater clarification of an issue.

During the transition from childhood to adulthood, adolescents face a unique set of challenges that accompany increased independence and responsibility. This volume combines cutting-edge research in the field of adolescence and the field of motivation and self-regulation to shed new light on these challenges and the self-regulation tools that could most effectively address them. Leading scholars discuss general principles of the adolescent period across a wide variety of areas, including interpersonal relationships, health and achievement. Their interdisciplinary approach covers perspectives from history, anthropology and primatology, as well as numerous subdisciplines of psychology - developmental, educational, social, clinical, motivational, cognitive and neuropsychological. Self-Regulation in Adolescence stresses practical applications, making it a valuable resource not only for scholars, but also for adolescents and their family members, teachers, social workers and health professionals who seek to support them. It presents useful strategies that adolescents can adopt themselves and raises important questions for future research.

Do you love roller coasters, have a passion for traveling to new places, or crave novelty and new experiences?Are you deeply empathic, highly creative, and experience a deep, rich inner life? If so you may be one of the 30% of highly sensitive people who are also high sensation seekers.In this ground-breaking new book Dr. Tracy Cooper, the author of Thrive: The Highly Sensitive Person and Career, presents original, new research findings that will help you better understand how to:* maximize the potentiality inherent in both traits while balancing the challenges each trait presents* re-vision the way you think about career as a sensitive sensation seeker * attach value to your deep, rich inner life* engage in fulfilling, meaningful relationships* move beyond limiting societal constraints to greater personal authenticity.This book is a must read for all sensitive sensation seekers and the people who love them!