Grant: Doctoral Award - Frederick Banting and Charles Best Canada Graduate Scholarships

Sensation seeking (SS) involves a desire to seek out new and thrilling experiences and has been linked to socially unacceptable behaviours such as drug-abuse, and to other less stigmatized risky behaviours such as high-risk sports (e.g. sky-diving). Could one form of risky behaviour (e.g. sport) substitute for the other, more health-detrimental form (e.g. drugs)? The 'high', the sensation of excitement, is related to the release of the neurotransmitter dopamine. My interdisciplinary project involves: 1) looking for variants in the dopamine receptor gene that are characteristic of risk-inclined populations, 2) personality trait correlations between risk-inclined populations in sports and 'on the street', and 3) an investigation of the potential of 'adventure-based' interventions in dealing with substance abuse. The association between genetic variants in the dopamine receptor and related genes and SS behaviour will be assessed in a number of risk-inclined sports populations including extreme skiers, 'BASE jumpers', in substance abusers, and in a control population. Personality and genetic variables between the groups will also be analyzed which hopefully will contribute to a theoretical understanding of the innate factors that may influence SS. The final phase will look at a potential application of theory by investigating an established adventure-based learning program for at-risk youth called Take a Hike. Pre- and post- program lifestyle data will be used to gauge the efficacy of the program in reducing drug-abuse. Perhaps the 'extreme' sports alternative will appeal to youth otherwise inclined to satisfy SS urges through drugs.