Explorer syndrome, the need to explore and change routines

Have you ever heard of explorer syndrome? These are people who need, as their name suggests, Continuously explore new environments, meet new people, live different experiences, seek challenges…

That is to say, They are people who do not like to be static, who need movement and action. How is this syndrome related to personality psychology? Is there any dimension of it that we can link to this concept? As we will see, yes! Discover what dimension it is and how it can be evaluated.

What is explorer syndrome?

Explorer syndrome is used to designate those people who get tired of always doing the same thing, who get overwhelmed by routines, who need constant stimulation and adventures, learning new things, living new experiences…

Definitely, They are curious and alert people who do not include the word boredom in their vocabulary.and who are dying to constantly take on new challenges.

A pattern of behavior

When we talk about explorer syndrome, we actually refer to a pattern of behavior in which people show great curiosity about living new experiencesto visit new places, unknown spaces and, ultimately, to live new adventures.

People with this syndrome, unlike what happens with people who seek routine and security, feel a blockage if they find themselves immersed in those routines that so many others like. That is, they need to get out of it, go further and explore new environments.

Search for sensations

But explorer syndrome is not a new concept. Already Marvin Zuckerman (1928-2018), Doctor in Clinical Psychology at New York University, spoke of the personality dimension of “sensation seeking”. Thus, he included this dimension in his theory of personality, which had a great influence on Personality Psychology.

The theory was an alternative to the famous Big Five model of personality (the predominant theory), and was based on the biological factors of personality described by the English psychologist Hans Eysenck (1916-1997).

According to Zuckerman’s model, sensation seeking would imply the need to receive new, varied and complex sensations coming from experiences and willingness to feel physical and social risks for taking part in them. In reality, through this dimension, we are also talking about the explorer syndrome.

Subdimensions

Zuckerman’s Sensation Seeking Includes 4 Subdimensions. These make up the entire dimension, and are traits or characteristics that we find in people with Explorer Syndrome:

Search for adventure and risk.Search for experiences.Disinhibition.Susceptibility to boredom.

How to detect explorer syndrome?

Linking the question with Zuckerman’s theory, we find that he developed a questionnaire to evaluate the dimension of sensation seeking. This is the Zuckerman Interests and Preferences Questionnaire (SSS). Another alternative to evaluate this dimension is the Personality Test (ZKPQ), also by the same author.

Beyond psychological tests and tests, and in “real life”, it will not be difficult for us to detect people with explorer syndrome. Because? Because they are people who, generally, cannot sit still; They often need to change their environment, their life, their work…

They are people who continually embark on adventures, who seek challenges and, above all, who tend to really like to travel. So If you find a person with these characteristics, it probably won’t go unnoticed: You are looking at someone with Explorer Syndrome!

What do the studies say?

The explorer syndrome, as well as the sensation-seeking dimension: are they innate characteristics? Or are we developing these characteristics influenced by the environment? What behaviors are associated with this behavior pattern?

In this sense, a study by Ball, Farnill and Wangemen (1984), cited in Chico (2000), provided support for non-genetic influence on sensation seeking. Another study, carried out by Serrano et al. (1996) and also cited in Chico (2000), pointed out that there are behaviors that are related to this way of being: specifically, the drug use and social risk behaviors, more frequent in men than in women.

Something good or bad?

And you, do you know someone with explorer syndrome? Or maybe you yourself are one of them? As we have seen, People with this syndrome seek to experience emotions and live intensely. Therefore, routine costs them a lot.

They tend to frequently leave their comfort zone (not to mention that they don’t spend much time there); It is not at all pathological, although there are studies that relate this dimension of personality (sensation seeking) with drug consumption or the adoption of risky behaviors.

You can perfectly have explorer syndrome and not get into problematic situations. (on the contrary, living to the fullest and satisfactorily). Be that as it may, if you know someone with this syndrome, you will surely not get bored with them!

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