Sensation seeking, risk-taking, and the HEXACO model of personality

Abstract Previous research has related sensation seeking and risk-taking to the Big Five or Five Factor Model (FFM) of personality. Recently, based on a reanalysis of the main lexical studies, a six-dimensional HEXACO model of personality has been proposed. In three studies, the Sensation Seeking Scale (SSS) and the IPIP Risk-Taking scale are related to the factor and selected facet scales of the (Revised) HEXACO Personality Inventory. In agreement with the FFM, sensation seeking and risk-taking are significantly related to Openness to Experience, Extraversion, and Conscientiousness. However, sensation seeking and risk-taking are also significantly related to HEXACO Honesty–Humility and Emotionality. Based on the findings, a HEXACO Sensation Seeking Scale is designed from the facets Fearfulness, Unconventionality, Creativity, Fairness, Prudence, Social Boldness, and Sociability, which is found to have strong convergent correlations with the SSS and IPIP Risk-Taking in all of the studies.