Sensation-Seeking

THE IMPORTANCE OF SENSATION-SEEKING

Much of the research on sensation-seeking that is relevant to education and to educational psychology emanates from the field of health communications. In addition, much of this work has been applied research, often in school settings, and often with adolescent populations. Specifically, communication researchers have found that individuals pay attention to messages (e.g., media messages such as radio or television advertisements) based on (a) the individuals' need for sensation and (b) the level of sensation or stimulation that is provided by a given message. A media message that provides high levels of sensation is typically loud, colorful, and filled with motion and action. Intervention studies have found that when the sensation-value of a message is increased (i.e., it is made to be more stimulating by making it loud, including more colors and motion, etc.), the message is more attractive to individuals with a high need for sensation and thus has more effect on individuals' subsequent attitudes and behaviors (Donohew, Lorch, & Palmgreen, 1998).

Individuals who have high sensation needs typically engage in certain predictable behaviors. Most notably, the research indicates that individuals who exhibit a high need for sensation often are more likely to engage in risky or dangerous behaviors, such as abusing substances and having unprotected sexual intercourse (Baer, 2002; Donohew, Zimmerman, Novak, Feist-Price, & Cupp, 2000). However, research also indicates that high-sensation seekers exhibit other diverse characteristics. For example, one study found that these individuals report greater use of the Internet than do individuals with lower reported levels of sensation-seeking (Lin & Tsai, 2002).

Research indicates that sensation-seeking rises markedly during early adolescence (Donohew et al., 1994). For many adolescents, this increase coincides with the transition from elementary school into middle school. Thus although students with high needs for sensation are present in elementary, middle, and high schools, these students may be particularly prevalent in middle school settings.

SENSATION-SEEKING IN THE CLASSROOM

Students with high need for sensation are likely to display certain predictable characteristics. First, these students may engage in risky activities in school, such as running in the hallway, jumping off desks, throwing food in the cafeteria, or more serious activities such as using illicit substances or getting into physical fights. Second, these students may be particularly attracted to stimulating experiences in school; such students may want to listen to loud music or to look at highly visually stimulating materials (e.g., colorful books with many bright pictures). Third, these students are likely to get bored easily; they may not fare well in classrooms in which they are required to sit for long periods of time and listen to lectures.

Nevertheless, these students still pay attention to tasks, activities, and media messages that are low in sensation-value, if the topic is particularly salient to them. For example, individuals may attend to a seemingly boring documentary on cancer research, if they have close relatives or friends who is suffering from the disease; they may attend to a lecture on the stock market if they have just received the gift of a larger sum of money.

SUGGESTIONS FOR EDUCATORS

Scholars who study sensation-seeking have examined in particular how media (e.g., television programs or commercials) and general communication in the classroom (e.g., the ways that teachers communicate information to students) affect learning. Students with a high sensation needs benefit from instructional practices that meet those needs. It certainly is not possible to meet the needs of these students at all times, but some lessons can be altered to better hold their attention. Clear suggestions for educators emerge from this literature.

First, these students are more academically engaged in classrooms in which novel, unpredictable activities occur. These students get bored easily in monotonous settings in which activities are repeated daily. Thus, these students benefit from changes in daily routines and the presentation of new instructional materials from time to time (e.g., the use of new texts, the introduction of novel activities, the use of videos and the Internet, holding class outside on a nice day).

Second, educators can adapt curricular materials and classroom activities to make them more appealing to students who have high sensation needs. Whereas these adaptations benefit the high sensation-seeking students, they also may be interesting and novel for students who do not have such high needs. Researchers have identified specific ways in which curricula can be adapted for students with high sensation needs. These adaptations include: (a) the use of dramatic role-playing activities (including the videotaping of such activities), (b) the incorporation of videos and music into traditional lessons, (c) the inclusion of outside speakers with real-world experiences, and (d) the opportunity for students to facilitate conversations and activities in the classrooms (Anderman, Noar, Zimmerman, & Donohew, 2004).

Donohew and his colleagues have identified the characteristics of academic tasks and media messages that are likely to be attractive to adolescents with a high sensation needs (Donohew et al., 1998). These include: (a) tasks that are novel or unusual, (b) tasks that are complex, (c) tasks that provide auditory and visual stimulation, (d) tasks that are unconventional, (e) tasks that are fast-paced, (f) tasks that are complex or ambiguous, and (g) tasks that are suspenseful.

Third, educators need to be aware that students with high sensation needs may also experience problems with behavior in the classroom. These students are more likely to get out of their seats, to talk to their neighbors, and to seek attention from the teacher. Thus targeting students with high needs for sensation early on and setting up classroom contexts to provide for these students' needs may alleviate some potential behavioral problems in the classroom.

Finally, although most of the research has focused on students who exhibit high needs for sensation, educators must be aware of students who have a low need for sensation as well. Although research suggests that tasks that are low in sensation value appeal to students with a low need for sensation (Zuckerman, 1988), it is incorrect to assume that all academic tasks or media messages that are low in sensation-value will always be attractive to these individuals. Donohew and others suggest that these messages may simply be boring and ineffective for all learners. However, educators also must be aware that students with low needs for sensation may find tasks that are high in sensation value particularly over-stimulating.