Differences in Pre-Attentive Processes of Sound Intensity Change Between High- and Low-Sensation Seekers

High-sensation seekers are prone to search for changing stimuli. Pre-attentive processes reveal the earliest cortical change detection in response to external stimulus changes. This study recorded the mismatch negativity (MMN) to intensity increments and decrements in a repetitive tone in high-and low-sensation seekers. It was found that the MMN amplitude for intensity-decrement deviants was larger in high-than low-sensation seekers. However, with regard to deviant-increment stimulation, the difference between the two groups was not significant. Consequently, the sensitivity of high-sensitivity seekers to pre-attentively detect a decrease in sound intensity is higher than that of low-sensation seekers.