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Sensation Seeking Scale, Form V (SSS-V)3

Sensation Seeking Scale, Form V (SSS-V) Test

In about 8 minutes, the Sensation Seeking Scale, Form V (SSS-V) Test presents 40 paired-choice questions about preferences for novelty, intensity, variety, and risk. Your result can clarify your pattern of preferences and support reflection on how these tendencies may influence leisure, travel, social experiences, and everyday choices.

Questions: 408 minutes

Sensation Seeking Scale, Form: test ticket with numbers

September 1, 2026September 1, 2026Material has been updatedOctober 2, 2025Material has been published

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Daniel Hall Psychologist · Test reviewer

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Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

Experience Seeking (ES)ES

Measures the tendency to seek novelty through mental and sensory experiences, travel, and a nonconformist lifestyle.

example score4/10

4/10Moderateexample score

0 – 2Low

3 – 6Moderate

7 – 10High

A score of 4 indicates a moderate level of experience seeking, suggesting occasional interest in new ideas, sensory impressions, or travel without a strong drive for constant novelty.

Thrill and Adventure Seeking (TAS)TaAS

Measures interest in high-intensity activities involving speed, risk, and physical danger (e.g., extreme sports).

example score5/10

5/10Moderateexample score

0 – 4Low

5 – 8Moderate

9 – 10High

A score of 5 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting a balanced openness to thrill and adventure that may be situational rather than constant.

Boredom Susceptibility (BS)BS

Measures how strongly a person dislikes routine and repetitive situations and tends to feel restless when there is little change or stimulation.

example score6/10

6/10Moderateexample score

0 – 2Low

3 – 6Moderate

7 – 10High

A score of 6 indicates a moderate tendency to become bored by routine, with a noticeable preference for variety and change without being at the highest level of boredom sensitivity.

DisinhibitionD

Measures tendency toward social and sexual uninhibition, including partying, alcohol use, and seeking varied sexual experiences.

example score5/10

5/10Moderateexample score

0 – 2Low

3 – 8Moderate

9 – 10High

A score of 5 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting a balanced tendency toward disinhibited social and sexual behaviors that is present but not strongly pronounced.

Sensation SeekingSS

Measures the overall tendency to seek novel, intense experiences and accept risk for stimulation.

example score19/40

19/40Moderateexample score

0 – 12Low

13 – 25Moderate

26 – 40High

A score of 19 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting a balanced preference for new experiences with generally measured risk-taking.

just completed the test

DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

Adrenaline and adventure lovers

41%OF USERS

People who enjoy risky or high-intensity activities take it to understand how strongly they crave thrills and where their limits are.

Self-discovery seekers

34%OF USERS

Curious, reflective people take it to see whether they are more drawn to novelty and intense experiences or to comfort and routine.

Coaches and counselors

25%OF USERS

Psychologists and career advisors use it to discuss risk-taking, impulse control, and what environments a person is likely to thrive in.

BASED ON AGGREGATED, ANONYMIZED DATA FROM TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FREUDLY USERS.

Benchmarking

See How You Compare

Once you complete the test, your results are compared with real-world data from people in your country.
Below is a preview of how scores are typically distributed across each scale.

Shaded area — where most people score

Dot — the average

You — your score lands on each curve after the test— your score, after the test

Experience Seeking (ES)

You?

Average5.2

Typical rangeTypical3.9 – 6.5

Possible0 – 10

Thrill Seeking (TAS)

You?

Average7.4

Typical rangeTypical5.7 – 9.2

Possible0 – 10

Susceptibility to Boredom (BS)

You?

Average2.9

Typical rangeTypical1.3 – 4.4

Possible0 – 10

Disinhibition (Dis)

You?

Average3.2

Typical rangeTypical1.9 – 4.5

Possible0 – 10

Scale of Sensation Seeking NeedsSoSSN

You?

Average27

Typical rangeTypical21.9 – 32.1

Possible0 – 40

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SAMPLE QUESTIONS

Example Questions From the Test

Each item below contains two options, A and B. Please select the option that best describes your preferences or how you feel. In some cases, both options may describe your preferences or feelings. In such cases, select the option that better describes your preferences or feelings. In other cases, you may not like either option. In these cases, select the option you dislike least. The focus is only on your own preferences or feelings, not on how others feel about these things or how a person is supposed to feel. There are no right or wrong answers on tests of this kind. Please respond candidly and provide an honest self-assessment.

- A. I would not learn to fly an airplane.
- B. I would like to learn to fly an airplane.
- A. Excitingly unpredictable.
- B. Reliable and predictable.
- A. I like spending time in a familiar home setting.
- B. I get very restless if I have to stay at home for a while.

These are 3 of the 40 real questions — the rest appear in the test. No sign-up needed to start.

WHAT THE TEST MEASURES

Sensation Seeking Scale, Form V (SSS-V) Test - Description and methodology of the test

search for sensations

If you are deciding whether to examine your preferences across travel, leisure, social settings, or uncertainty, the Sensation Seeking Scale, Form V (SSS-V) Test offers a structured set of choices to consider. This questionnaire helps someone considering this sensation seeking test decide whether its profile would aid reflection. Its results can highlight patterns across familiar activities and situations, helping you decide what to explore further.

What This Assessment Explores

SSS-V questionnaire covers routine, novelty, danger, freedom, and nonconformity.

Boredom Susceptibility (BS), 0-10, measures intolerance of routine, repetition, uninteresting people, and change-related restlessness; Low 0-2, Moderate 3-6, High 7-10.
Experience Seeking (ES), 0-10, measures novelty seeking through cognitive/sensory stimulation, travel, and nonconformity; Low 0-2, Moderate 3-6, High 7-10.
Thrill and Adventure Seeking (TAS), 0-10, measures preference for physical risk, speed, danger, and extreme sports; Low 0-4, Moderate 5-8, High 9-10.
Disinhibition, 0-10, measures social/sexual disinhibition in preference for parties, alcohol, and varied sexual partners; Low 0-2, Moderate 3-8, High 9-10.
Sensation Seeking, 0-40, measures pursuit of novel, intense, varied sensations, including risk-taking; higher scores indicate stronger seeking, lower scores favor stability and predictability; Low 0-12, Moderate 13-25, High 26-40.

Methodology and Scientific Basis

Respondents choose the statement that fits better from each pair, even when neither is perfect. The selected pattern produces separate dimension totals and an overall total. Read the result as a profile of preferences, not a single measure of daring.

The published Sensation Seeking Scale, Form V (SSS-V) is the closest reference for this questionnaire, which is conceptually consistent with it. Zuckerman’s model connects the trait with varied, novel, complex, and intense experiences, including willingness to accept physical or social risks. A later revision paper provides evidence relevant to the SSS-V’s development, while Gray and Wilson examined its reliability and validity in a UK sample.

Evidence from the published SSS-V helps interpret this online sensation seeking assessment but does not establish norms for its scores. The bands shown here are the questionnaire’s interpretation ranges; read them alongside circumstances and response style. Self-report can reflect current mood, memory, social desirability, and self-awareness; the profile is not a diagnosis and should be considered with broader context when important decisions arise.

Author: Zuckerman, M.

Literature:

Zuckerman, M., Eysenck, S. B. G., and Eysenck, H. J. (1978). Sensation seeking in England and America: Cross-cultural, age, and sex comparisons. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 46(1), 139-149. 10.1037/0022-006X.46.1.139
Zuckerman, M. (1996). Item revisions in the Sensation Seeking Scale Form V (SSS-V). Personality and Individual Differences, 20(4), 515. 10.1016/0191-8869(95)00195-6
Zuckerman, M. (1979). Sensation Seeking: Beyond the Optimal Level of Arousal. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Gray, J. M., and Wilson, M. A. (2007). A detailed analysis of the reliability and validity of the sensation seeking scale in a UK sample. Personality and Individual Differences, 42(4), 641-651. 10.1016/j.paid.2006.08.019

Updated: 2026-09-01