ERP augmenting/reducing and sensation seeking: a critical review

Abstract

Event-related potentials (ERPs) are generally considered capable of throwing light on the biological basis of personality traits. In particular, the ERP augmenting/reducing (A/R) phenomenon has been consistently associated with personality dimensions such as sensation seeking or impulsivity. However, doubts have been expressed regarding the validity of published evidence that individuals scoring high as sensation seekers are ERP augmenters. Reports of A/R-sensation seeking correlation in the opposite direction (in keeping with Petrie's hypotheses) threaten the construct validity of A/R, and lack of intermodal consistency throws serious doubts upon the existence of the central input-regulating mechanism once thought to be associated with sensation seeking. With the aim of clarification this article reviews the literature on the relationship between ERP A/R and sensation seeking, discusses the chief problems confronted by research in this area, and makes suggestions for future studies. It is concluded that experimental conditions of stimulus intensity and inter-stimulus interval may have played a part in the inconsistencies. The need to use a variety of measures of sensation seeking is stressed, and a number of other recommendations for research in this field are made.