Abstract
Subscale scores on the Sensation Seeking Scale (SSS) and the Novelty Experiencing Scale (NES), scores on a social desirability scale and on two ability tests, and academic course grades were obtained for a sample of 275 pre-flight students. Data from 172 college males of the same age range (Waters, 1974) provided comparisons between college and pre-flight students. The preflight students, as compared to college males, scored higher on External Sensation, Thrill and Adventure Seeking, and External Cognition; but scored lower on Experience Seeking and Disinhibition. A factor analysis of the subscales of the SSS and NES yielded a general and three group factors in both the pre-flight and the college student samples. One group factor was defined by the External Sensation subscale of the NES and the Thrill and Adventure Seeking subscale of the SSS. This group factor was the only one that included subscales from both instruments. The other two group factors, which represented clusters of the remaining within instrument subscales, were interpreted as reflecting within scale method variance.
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