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Sensation seeking and health-protecting and reproductive strategies
Sensation seeking (Zuckerman, 1971) can be seen as personality trait representing the psychological basis of adaptation strategies, formed in evolution. Higher sensations seeking (SS) is associated with reproductive behavior (Farthing, 2005 ; Cooping et al., 2013 ). Sensation-seeking correlates with status and reputation, higher SSis associated with short-term relationship (Egorova et al., 2013 ). The study sample was 280 students , ages 18-20 years . The following characteristics are assessed: sensation seeking (thrill and adventure seeking, experience seeking, disinhibition, boredom susceptibility, intelligence seeking, novelty avoidance) psychological well-being (Ryff, 1989) and health protecting behavior (leisure time , drinking and smoking). Higher level of sensation-seeking was found in men sample. This allows us to consider SS as the trait contributing to reproductive behavior. Men with higher levels of SS tend to be more preferred partners. Sensation-seeking is negatively associated with a preference for sports as leisure time, regardless of gender. «Intelligence seeking», «novelty avoidance» positive correlate with a tendency to consume high strength alcohol and with smoking. Psychological well-being scales: «positive relations with others» and «personal growth» has negative correlations with the «general sensation-seeking», «experience seeking» and «thrill and adventure seeking». The facts suggest that high sensation-seeking acts in the opposite manner to different adaptive strategies . High SS leads to a focus on short-term relationship and simultaneously to low health-protecting behavior. This situation can be regarded as a preference for the traditional strategy of adaptation in terms of evolutionary psychology. Low SS on the contrary would lead to a preference strategy aimed at preserving themselves and long-term relationship. This study was supported by an Program of Strategic development of Perm state humanitarian-pedagogical university, project No. 26-F