Sensation seeking is a construct associated with risky behaviors over a wide age range, but validation studies in Mexico are lacking. The aim of this study was to investigate the validity of two versions of the Brief Sensation Seeking Scale (the BSSS-8 and BSSS-4) in young Mexican individuals. The sample consisted of 2884 students (age: M = 16.6, SD = 1.5) from five preparatory schools in Morelos, Mexico. The internal structure of the BSSS was evaluated according to the structural equation modeling (SEM) parameterization, including measurement invariance (compared to the factor loadings obtained in the meta-analysis); conditional reliability; and equivalence between versions. The unidimensionality and measurement invariance (configurational, factor loadings, thresholds, intercepts, and residuals) across sex and age groups were satisfactory, and the factor loadings were highly congruent with those obtained in the meta-analysis. Reliability was suitably high (greater than 0.80), especially near the mean scores, but was lower for extreme scores. Thus, the instrument was concluded to be optimal for defining the construct of sensation seeking, consistent with the findings of previous studies.
Keywords: measurement invariance; meta-analysis; risk behaviors; sensation seeking; validation.