ISSN 2039-2117 (online) ISSN 2039-9340 (print) Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences MCSER Publishing, Rome-Italy Vol 6 No 2 S1 March 2015 260 Is Sensation Seeking Linked Only to Personality Traits? The Role of Quality of Attachment in the Development of Sensation Seeking among Italian Adolescents: A Longitudinal Perspective Ugo Pace Carmela Madonia Alessia Passanisi Calogero Iacolino University Kore of Enna Rosanna Di Maggio University of Palermo Doi:10.5901/mjss.2015.v6n2s1p260 Abstract Considering sensation seeking as a personality trait has led to the driving of a series of studies on the biological and temperamental characteristics of sensation seekers. Conversely, from a bio-psychosocial perspective, personality factors are believed to account for about half of the likelihood that an individual will engage in disadaptive and dangerous actions, whereas environmental factors, such as primary relationships, interact with the person’s biology and affect the extent to which genetic factors exert their influence. On the light of these considerations, the present study explored the unique and common contributions of temperament and quality of attachment measured from 15 years old through the propensity of sensation seeking at 17 years old. The research involved 320 participant, from 14 to 16 years of age at wave 1, and 282 (16 to 18 years, 88% of the total sample) at wave 2. Data showed that negative affect at T1 emerged as a significant positive predictor of sensation seeking at T2. Moreover, dismissing attachment at T1 was positively related to thrill seeking at T2. Finally, dismissing attachment at T1 played a mediating role in the relationships between negative affect and lack of control and thrill seeking two years later. Starting from the results of the present study, treatment of adolescent in which sensation seeking may be seen as predictive of problematic behaviors may be based on the reorganization of the personal model of attachment. Keywords: adolescence, sensation seeking, temperament, attachment 1. Introduction Findings of recent studies on risky behaviors have shown a reliable link between high sensation-seeking behavior and engagement in risk-taking behaviors during adolescence (Zuckerman, 2007). Zuckerman (1994) defined sensation seeking as “the seeking of varied, novel, complex, and intense sensations and experiences, and the willingness to take physical, social, legal, and financial risks for the sake of such experience” (p. 27). An increasing number of adolescents and young people are fascinated by intense stimuli and strong sensations (VV.AA., Eurispes, 2012). Many of them seem to develop a sort of insensitivity to the gratification of the everyday life events. The threshold of gratification becomes increasingly higher, the low capacity for pleasure makes many young apathetic, bored or incapable to be able to defer the achievement of the desires. Sensation-seekers are characterized by low sensitivity to stimuli and therefore in need of high levels of stimulation to maintain an optimal state of arousal. To the extent that individuals need sensations, they engage in behavior that increases the amount of stimulation they experience, and they are likely to take risks to that end. Data have indeed highlighted that high sensation-seekers report significant levels of violent behavior (Lynne-Landsman et al., 2011; Pace et al., 2013), abuse of illegal substance, alcohol use and risky sexual behaviors (Baiocco et al., 2009; Laghi et al., 2013). Although it seems clear the predictor role of sensation seeking in risky behavior in adolescence appears to be less clear the complex dynamics related to personal and social development that can be identified as predictors of this need of