Personality correlates of auditory augmenting response to clicks repeated around 2Hz

Eighty-three subjects (47 women and 36 men) were submitted to Plutchik-van Praag's (PVP) depression inventory, Zuckerman's sensation seeking scales and Zuckerman-Kuhlman's personality inventory, and underwent auditory evoked potential studies using clicks at 4 different intensities of 70, 80, 90 and 100 dB. The clicks were delivered at an interstimulus interval varying randomly around 0.5s, which can elicit an obligatory subcomponent of N1. The P2 latency was significantly prolonged at the highest intensity. The intensity dependence of peak-to-peak N1-P2 and of baseline-to-peak N1 and P2 components was pronounced and the majority of subjects were augmenters. The N1 latency elicited at 70 dB was positively correlated with the thrill and adventure seeking, which then correlated the activity. The correlation suggests that a lower level of arousal, as indicated by prolonged N1 latency, would lead one to seek higher stimulation, such as the augmented response, the increased desire of physical thrill and adventure and elevated activity. This study, therefore, supports Zuckerman's theory that a sensation seeking personality is related to cortical arousal level.