Exploring the structure of Zuckerman's Sensation Seeking Scale, Form V in a Spanish sample

Psychol Rep. 2004 Aug;95(1):338-44. doi: 10.2466/pr0.95.1.338-344.

Abstract

The psychometric properties of the original version of the Sensation Seeking Scale (Form V) were analyzed in a sample of 1,006 Spanish university students. The total sample was randomly split into two halves. Exploratory factor analyses were conducted on the calibration sample (n=504), whereas confirmatory factor analysis procedures were performed on the validation sample (n=502). As previous studies have suggested, exploratory factor structure indicated that several items load on a different factor or have loadings lower than .30. Those problems were surpassed when the best five items per factor were factor analyzed again. The confirmatory factor analyses showed that a 4-factor simple structure model gave a clearly imperfect fit. A model of 20 items (5 items per factor) gave a better fit, although with similar problems regarding the low reliabilities of the Experience Seeking and Boredom Susceptibility subscales. The need for improvement of the four-factor structure is discussed.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Arousal*
  • Boredom
  • Cross-Cultural Comparison*
  • Factor Analysis, Statistical
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Language*
  • Male
  • Models, Statistical
  • Personality Inventory / statistics & numerical data*
  • Psychometrics / statistics & numerical data
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Risk-Taking*
  • Spain
  • Statistics as Topic
  • Students / psychology