Poor Control Strengthens the Association Between Sensation Seeking and Disgust Reactions
Abstract
Perception of risk to a stimulus associated with negative affect may depend on the level of emotional arousal it elicits. Sensation seeking is associated with a decreased level of arousal to risk stimuli. Individuals high in sensation seeking may require greater emotional arousal in order to induce harm avoidance. Poor control increases the salience of emotional cues, which may increase the magnitude of emotion associated with risk stimuli. In the present study, we found that, as sensation seeking decreased, high levels of poor control increased the likelihood of experiencing an emesis perception following disgust. The results support a harm avoidance system tied to emotions elicited from immediate threat that is potentiated by poor control.
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