Cheap Thrills: Why We Love Them

Why is that, for some people, living dangerously is synonymous with living well? Are those people more courageous than the rest of us, or are they just dumb? The answer, apparently, is none of the above, although it does have something to do with brains. Psychologist Marvin Zuckerman of the University of Delaware lays much of the joy of danger on monoamine oxidase B, an enzyme that breaks down dopamine in the brain. The less monoamine oxidase B a person has, Zuckerman argues, the more the dopamine flows, and the more likely he or she is to be a thrill seeker.
Zuckerman’s theory is one of several presented in a long piece in Scientific American Mind, which tries hard to rationalize what many people consider irrational actions of thrill junkies. Some researchers have, predictably, dragged genes into the act. In 1996, the piece reports, scientists discovered a gene called the D4 dopamine receptor, which provides the code for a specific dopamine receptor and was thought to be responsible for minimizing the anxiety that normally accompanies risky behavior. People who have this receptor tend to go to excessive measures to get a rush. Other experts reportedly remaind unconvinced of the gene connection. Mind reports that 18 studies done since 1996 have examined the link between its occurrence and thrill-seeking behavior, but only half of them have found any quantifiable connection.
What makes you want to ski off cliffs? The answer may be here. Or here.