Sensation Seeking and Self-Reported Criminality among Student-Athletes

Abstract

The present study was conducted to assess whether student-athletes self-report more criminal activities than other students and whether there is a relation between sensation seeking and criminal behavior. In comparison to the control sample of 38, 34 student-athletes scored significantly higher on Zuckerman's Sensation Seeking Scale, Form V, and on a modified version of Canter's Self-report Deviance Checklist. Sensation seeking was not related to self-reported criminality among the control group, but among student-athletes moderately high correlations were found. These findings might suggest another dimension of the theory of sensation seeking among athletes.