Testing the validity of the Need Inventory (NISS) within a clinical context: The role of pathological gambling

The paper investigates the validity of the Need Inventory for Sensation Seeking (NISS) in comparison to the Sensation Seeking Scale-Form V (SSS-V; Zuckerman, 1994) in pathological gamblers. A sample of 30 inpatients with a primary diagnosis of pathological gambling, and a sample of 30 control subjects, were tested using questionnaires which assess sensation seeking, the severity of pathological gambling, and impulsiveness. Groups differ in terms of impulsivity as well as in terms of sensation seeking, but only when using the NISS. No differences were found with respect to the scores of the SSS-V. The study demonstrates the validity of the NISS (over the SSS-V) within a clinical context.