Further evidence for the validity of the Need Inventory of Sensation Seeking

• The study examines the validity of the Need Inventory of Sensation Seeking (NISS).
• It extends the area of application to extreme sexual fantasies and behaviors.
• NISS outperforms traditional measures of sensation seeking.
• The NISS-subscale Need for Stimulation is recommended for us.

The Need Inventory of Sensation Seeking (NISS) by Roth and Hammelstein (2012) conceptualizes sensation seeking as a motivational trait, a need for stimulation that can provoke different behaviors. Extending the area of application to the field of sexuality, the results of an online survey with a convenience sample (N = 368) provided evidence that the NISS outperforms traditional measures of sensation seeking. In a series of hierarchical regression analyses, the NISS added incremental variance in predicting the number of sexual partners and the frequency of extreme sexual behaviors and fantasies. No relationship between the NISS and pornography use was found. Moreover, the NISS subscale Need for Stimulation performed better than the subscale Avoidance of Rest. Overall, the study supported the assumption that the NISS is a valid and reliable instrument in the area of sexuality.