Skip to main content
Log in

Sensation seeking and e-shoppers

  • Published:
Electronic Commerce Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The concept of sensation seeking has been extensively researched. However, a few studies have been carried out on the relationship between sensation seeking and e-commerce. More specifically, it studied the purchase of leisure products, which usually have a higher frequency of purchase on the Internet. With this in mind, the Brief Sensation Seeking Scale (BSSS) created by Hoyle et al. (Pers. Individ. Differ. 32:401–414, 2002) is used, which adapts items from the SSS-V (Zuckerman et al., J. Consult. Clin. Psychol. 46:139–149, 1978). The results, based on a sample of 393 participants, explain that significant differences exist between e-shoppers and non-e-shoppers of leisure products with respect to the subscale of thrill and adventure seeking. Also, it is observed that there are significant differences between shoppers and non-shoppers only with women.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Allred, C. R., Smith, S. M., & Swinyard, W. R. (2006). E-shopping lover and fearful conservatives: a market segmentation analysis. International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, 34(4/5), 308–333.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Armstrong, L., Phillips, J. G., & Saling, L. L. (2000). Potential determinants of heavier Internet usage. International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, 53, 537–550.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Arnett, J. (1994). Sensation seeking. A new conceptualisation and a new scale. Personality and Individual Differences, 16, 289–296.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Ball, S.A., & Zuckerman, M. (1992). Sensation seeking and selective attention: focused and divided attention on a dichotic listening task. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 63(5), 825–831.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Ball, I., Farnhill, D., & Wangeman, J. F. (1984). Sex and age differences in sensations seeking: Some national comparisons. British Journal of Psychology, 75, 247–265.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Barnett, L. A. (2006). Accounting for leisure preferences from within: the relative contributions of gender, race or ethnicity, personality, affective style, and motivational orientation. Journal of Leisure Research, 38(4), 445–474.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Blenner, J. L. (1993). Visual evoked potential stimulus intensity modulation and sensation seeking in thrill seekers. Personality and Individual Differences, 14, 455–463.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Bouter, L. M., Knipschild, P. G., Feij, J. A., & Volovics, A. (1988). Sensation seeking and injury risk in downhill skiing. Personality and Individual Differences, 9, 667–673.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Brakto, D., & Butkovic, A. (2003). Family study of sensation seeking. Personality and Individual Differences, 35, 1559–1570.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Carton, S., Jouvent, R., Bunggener, C., & Wildöcher, D. (1992). Sensation seeking and depressive mood. Personality and Individual Differences, 7, 843–849.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Carver, C. S., & Scheier, M. F. (1997). Teorías de la personalidad. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Chico Librán, E., & Vázquez Orellana, N. (1999). Relación entre la escala de búsqueda de sensaciones de Zuckerman y el inventario de búsqueda de sensaciones de Arnett. Análisis y Modificación de Conducta, 25(104), 865–883.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Eachus, P. (2004). Using the Brief Sensation Seeking Scale (BSSS) to predict holiday preferences. Personality and Individual Differences, 36, 141–153.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Etter, S., Cramer, J. J., & Finn, S. (2006). Origins of academy dishonesty: Ethical orientations and personality factors associated with attitudes about cheating with information technology. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 39(2), 133–155.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Eysenck, H. J. (1983). A biometrical-genetical analysis of impulsive and sensation seeking behaviour. In M. Zuckerman (Ed.), Biological bases of sensation seeking, impulsivity, and anxiety (pp. 1–27). Hillsdale: Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Eysenck, S. B. G., & Zuckerman, M. (1978). The relationship between sensation seeking and Eysenck’s dimensions of personality. British Journal of Psychology, 69, 483–487.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Ferrando, P. J., & Chico, E. (2001). The construct of sensation seeking as measured by Zuckerman’s SSS-V and Arnett’s AISS: a structural equation model. Personality and Individual Differences, 31, 1121–1133.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Galloway, G., & Lopez, K. (1999). Sensation seeking and attitudes to aspects of national parks: a preliminary empirical investigation. Tourism Management, 20, 665–671.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Giambra, L. M., Camp, C. J., & Grodsky, A. (1992). Curiosity and stimulation seeking across the life span: Cross-sectional and seven-year longitudinal findings. Psychology and Aging, 7, 150–157.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Gilchrist, H., Povey, R., Dickinson, A., & Povey, R. (1995). The Sensation Seeking Scale: Its use in a study of the characteristics of people choosing “adventure holidays”. Personality and Individual Differences, 19, 513–516.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Gillen, D., & Lall, A. (2002). The economics of the Internet, the new economy and opportunities for airports. Journal of Air Transport Management, 8, 49–62.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Gomà-I-Freixanet, M. (1991). Personality profile of subjects engaged in high physical risk sports. Personality and Individual Differences, 12, 1087–1093.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Grande, I. (2005). Dimensions in scales for measuring exploratory tendencies and stimulation levels in consumers: a cross-cultural comparison of the USA and Spain. Journal of Consumer Behavior, 4(5), 363–373.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Gundersheim, J. (1987). Sensation seeking in male and female athletes and non-athletes. International Journal of Sport Psychology, 18, 87–99.

    Google Scholar 

  25. Haapasalo, J. (1990). The Eysenck Personality Questionnaire and Zuckerman’s SSS-V in Finland: age differences. Personality and Individual Differences, 11, 503–508.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Hair, J. R., Anderson, R. E., Tatham, R. L., & Black, W. C. (1995). Multivariate data analysis. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  27. Hanna, N., & Wagle, J. S. (1989). Who is your satisfied customer? The Journal of Consumer Marketing, 6(1), 53–61.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Hartman, M. K., & Rawson, H. E. (1992). Differences in and correlates of sensation seeking in male and female athletes and non-athletes. Personality and Individual Differences, 13, 807–812.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Holbrook, M. B., & Hirschman, E. C. (1982). The experiential aspects of consumption: consumer fantasies, feelings, and fun. Journal of Consumer Research, 9, 132–140.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Hoyle, R. H., Stephenson, T., Palmgreen, P., Lorch, E. P., & Donohew, R. L. (2002). Reliability and validity of a brief measure of sensation seeking. Personality and Individual Differences, 32, 401–414.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Joireman, J. A., Fick, C. S., & Anderson, J. W. (2002). Sensation seeking and involvement in chess. Personality and Individual Differences, 32, 509–515.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Levenson, M. R. (1990). Risk taking and personality. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 58(6), 1073–1080.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Martin, B. A. S., Sherrard, M. J., & Wentzel, D. (2005). The role of sensation seeking and need for cognition on web-site evaluations: a resource-matching perspective. Psychology & Marketing, 22(2), 109–126.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Michel, G., Mouren-Siméoni, M. C., Perez-Diaz, F., Falissard, B., Carton, S., & Jouvent, R. (1999). Construction and validation of a sensation seeking scale for adolescents. Personality and Individual Differences, 26, 159–174.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. O’Sullivan, D. M., Zuckerman, M., & Kraft, M. (1998). Personality characteristics of male and female participants in team sports. Personality and Individual Differences, 25, 119–128.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Pizam, A., Jeong, G.-H., Reichel, A., & Van Boemmel, H. (2004). The relationship between risk-taking, sensation seeking, and tourist behavior of young adults: a cross-cultural study. Journal of Travel Research, 42(3), 251–260.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. Potgieter, J., & Bisschoff, F. (1990). Sensation seeking among medium and low-risk sports participants. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 71, 1203–1206.

    Google Scholar 

  38. Raju, P. S. (1980). Optimum stimulation level: its relationship to personality, demographics, and exploratory behavior. Journal of Consumer Research, 7, 272–282.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  39. Ripa, C. P. L., Hansen, H. S., Mortensen, E. L., Sanders, S. A., & Reinisch, J. M. (2001). A Danish version of the Sensation Seeking Scale and its relation to a broad spectrum of behavioural and psychological characteristics. Personality and Individual Differences, 30, 1371–1386.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  40. Roth, M. (2003). Validation of the Arnett Inventory of Sensation Seeking (AISS): efficiency to predict the willingness towards occupational chance, and affection by social desirability. Personality and Individual Differences, 35, 1307–1314.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  41. Schrader, M. P., & Wann, D. L. (1999). High-risk recreation: the relationship between participant characteristics and degree of involvement. Journal of Sport Behavior, 22(3), 426–441.

    Google Scholar 

  42. Schultz, D., & Schultz, S. E. (2003). Teorías de la personalidad. Madrid: Paraninfo.

    Google Scholar 

  43. Smith, R. C., Ptacek, J. T., & Smoll, F. L. (1992). Sensation seeking, stress, and adolescent injuries: a test of stress-buffering, risk-taking, and coping skills hypotheses. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 62, 1016–1024.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  44. Steenkamp, J. E. M., & Baumgartner, H. (1992). The role of optimum stimulation level in exploratory consumer behavior. Journal of Consumer Research, 19, 434–448.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  45. Wang, S., Wang, S., & Wang, M. T. (2006). Shopping online or not: Cognition and personality matters. Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research, 1(3), 68–80.

    Google Scholar 

  46. Zuckerman, M. (1979). Sensation seeking: beyond the optimal level of arousal. Hillsdale: Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  47. Zuckerman, M. (1990). The psychophysiology of sensation seeking. Journal of Personality, 58, 313–345.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  48. Zuckerman, M. (1991). Psychobiology of personality. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  49. Zuckerman, M. (1993). Sensation seeking and sports. Personality and Individual Differences, 4, 285–292.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  50. Zuckerman, M. (1994). Behavioral expressions and biosocial bases of sensation seeking. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  51. Zuckerman, M., Eysenck, S. B. G., & Eysenck, H. J. (1978). Sensations seeking in England and America: Cross-cultural, age, and sex comparisons. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 46, 139–149.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  52. Zuckerman, M., & Neeb, M. (1980). Demographic influences in sensation seeking and expressions of sensation seeking in religion, smoking and driving habits. Personality and Individual Differences, 1, 197–206.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jesús Manuel López-Bonilla.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

López-Bonilla, J.M., López-Bonilla, L.M. Sensation seeking and e-shoppers. Electron Commerce Res 8, 143–154 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10660-008-9018-9

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10660-008-9018-9

Keywords

Navigation