ABSTRACT
As with many of Freud’s pithy observations, the above one is only partly true. For most persons maximal enjoyment of sensory experiences lies somewhere between familiarity and novelty. The balance of preference is in part a function of the trait of sensation seeking defined as: “ . . . the seeking of varied, novel, complex and intense sensations and experiences, and the willingness to take risks for the sake of such experience.” (Zuckerman, 1994, p. 27). The last part of the definition, willingness to take . . . risks, is not relevant in this chapter, most of which concerns purely sensory or vicarious experience that entails no risks.
