Analysis of the Gender Variable in the Sensation Seeking Scales (sss-v) Using Differential Item Functioning Techniques

Studies in the field of personality have found that men and women differ systematically in their level of sensation seeking. The aim of this study is to analyze these differences in the sss-v using differential item functioning (dif) techniques to determine whether these differences are the result of a differential functioning of the items between males and females or if, on the contrary, they may be reflecting true differences in the assessed dimensions. To this end, 1191 participants within a wide age range were evaluated using the SSS-V test. The following detection methods were used in order to examine dif: sibtest, logistic regression, Lord’s χ2 test, and the dfit model. Despite the fact that some items with dif exist, the sex differences observed seem to be the result of true differences in the measured personality constructs and they don’t seem to be artificially produced by a bias in the test items.