Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Spanish sensory processing sensitivity questionnaire (S-SPSQ)

Sensory Processing Sensitivity (SPS) is a temperament trait rooted in biology, and is distinguished by heightened awareness, emotional responsiveness, and sensitivity to environmental stimuli. In this study, we aimed to enable the assessment of SPS within Spanish-speaking populations. To achieve this, we translated, adapted, and validated the Sensory Processing Sensitivity Questionnaire (SPSQ), which offers a comprehensive evaluation of SPS, encompassing both positive and negative aspects of the trait. Participants were 1,004 (844 females, mean age 37) mainly from Chile (964), and 40 were from other Spanish-speaking regions. Confirmatory factor analysis, utilizing the diagonally weighted least squares method, was applied to validate the internal structure of the Spanish version of the SPSQ (S-SPSQ). Fit indices such as GFI, CFI, TLI, RMSEA, and SRMR were scrutinized. Reliability assessment utilized Cronbach's alpha and McDonald's Omega. Three models were examined: Model I (six factors) displayed robustness, Model II (six factors plus a general factor) did not show substantive improvement, and Model III (Higher Order and Bifactor) excelled in fit while balancing complexity and representation, thus validating the findings of the original SPSQ and indicating similar reliability coefficients. The study offers a balanced perspective on SPS and contributes to cross-cultural validation of an SPS instrument which may facilitate research and guide personalized therapeutic interventions, thus enhancing outcomes for highly sensitive persons.

Emotion regulation goals and strategies among individuals with varying levels of sensory processing sensitivity: a latent profile analysis

Background

Emotion regulation (ER) has emerged as a significant factor influencing the well-being of individuals with high sensory processing sensitivity (SPS). However, the interaction between SPS and the underlying mechanisms of ER remains largely unexplored.

Objective

This study aimed to (a) identify profiles of SPS and ER competency using a latent profile analysis (LPA), and (b) investigate the ER goals and strategy use among each profile to better understand ER patterns in highly sensitive individuals with lower ER proficiency.

Methods

A total of 813 Chinese college students (mean age = 21.53 ± 2.48; 74.41% female) completed the Highly Sensitive Person Scale, 16-item Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale, Emotion Regulation Goals Scale, Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, and the rumination subscale from the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire.

Results

The LPA identified three profiles: "Low SPS - High ER Competency" (41%), "Moderate SPS - ER Competency" (41%), and "High SPS - Low ER Competency" (18%). ER goals varied significantly among these groups. The "High SPS - Low ER Competency" group predominantly pursued contra-hedonic goals and impression management goals, while the "Low SPS - High ER Competency" group focused on pro-hedonic goals. In terms of strategies, the "Low SPS - High ER Competency" group mainly used cognitive reappraisal, the "Moderate SPS - ER Competency" group leaned towards suppression, and the "High SPS - Low ER Competency" group preferred rumination and suppression.

Conclusion

These findings indicate that higher SPS combined with lower ER proficiency is linked to an increased pursuit of contra-hedonic goals and impression management goals, and a reliance on response-focused strategies. This pattern offers new insights for developing psychological support strategies for highly sensitive individuals experiencing mental distress.

An Interpretable Machine Learning Approach to Predict Sensory Processing Sensitivity Trait in Nursing Students

Sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) is a personality trait that makes certain individuals excessively sensitive to stimuli. People carrying this trait are defined as Highly Sensitive People (HSP). The SPS trait is notably prevalent among nursing students and nurse staff. Although there are HSP diagnostic tools, there is little information about early detection. Therefore, the aim of this work was to develop a prediction model to identify HSP and provide an individualized nursing assessment. A total of 672 nursing students completed all the evaluations. In addition to the HSP diagnosis, emotional intelligence, communication skills, and conflict styles were evaluated. An interpretable machine learning model was trained to predict the SPS trait. We observed a 33% prevalence of HSP, which was higher in women and people with previous health training. HSP were characterized by greater emotional repair (p = 0.033), empathy (p = 0.030), respect (p = 0.038), and global communication skills (p = 0.036). Overall, sex and emotional intelligence dimensions are important to detect this trait, although personal characteristics should be considered. The present individualized prediction model could help to predict the presence of the SPS trait in nursing students, which may be useful in conducting intervention strategies to avoid the negative consequences and reinforce the positive ones of this trait.

Sleep reactivity mediates the relationship between sensory-processing sensitivity and insomnia symptoms severity: A cross-sectional correlational study

Sensory-processing sensitivity (SPS) is a temperamental trait that describes individual differences in sensitivity to environmental stimuli. Previous studies have shown that highly sensitive individuals are more vulnerable to stress and to sleep-related difficulties. In light of this evidence, we hypothesized that SPS is associated with an increase in insomnia symptoms and that this correlation would be mediated by increased perceived stress and sleep reactivity. To test this hypothesis, we conducted a cross-sectional study on 358 adults who completed a survey that included self-report measures of sensitivity, perceived stress, sleep reactivity, and insomnia symptoms. Correlation analysis revealed that SPS was positively related to both stress-related and sleep-related variables. We then conducted a mediation analysis, which revealed that SPS was positively related to insomnia symptoms and that this relationship was fully mediated by sleep reactivity but not mediated at all by perceived stress. The current findings suggest that sleep reactivity may contribute to the development of insomnia symptoms in highly sensitive individuals. Therefore, these results suggests that sleep reactivity should be assessed in highly sensitive individuals and that it could be important to evaluate and further study this relationship.

The General Factor of Environmental Sensitivity: Relationships with the General Factor of Personality

Environmental sensitivity is a meta-concept that describes individual differences in susceptibility to both positive and negative environmental influences and has been repeatedly reported to correlate with other established personality traits, including the Big Five. The purpose of this study was to examine the correlation between the general factor of environmental sensitivity (GFS) and the general factor of personality (GFP). A total of 1,046 adult participants (52% female; Mage = 45.15, SDage = 12.70) completed a self-report psychological questionnaire on an online form. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that GFS had a strong negative correlation with GFP (r = -.41, 95% CI [-.52, -.30], p < .001). Focusing on the relationship with the Big Five, individuals with higher environmental sensitivity were emotionally unstable and introverted. The trait of environmental sensitivity may be described not only in relation to the Big Five but also in relation to GFP, which is assumed to be an indicator of social effectiveness.

Traits linked to sensory processing sensitivity mediate the relationship between externally oriented thinking and fantasizing

Introduction

Alexithymia is characterized by difficulties identifying and describing feelings but expression of externally oriented thinking (EOT) and difficulty fantasizing is more variable. In two studies, we investigated whether links between EOT and fantasizing are mediated by sensory processing sensitivity (SPS).

Methods

University students completed measures of alexithymia, SPS, and fantasizing.

Results

In Study 1 (N = 700) we identified two clusters of SPS traits: a positive facet (sensitivity to subtle stimuli) and a negative facet (sensitivity to uncomfortable stimuli). In the 499 participants who completed the fantasy measure, low EOT scores predicted stronger SPS positive and negative traits, which predicted a stronger tendency to mentally project oneself into the lives of characters in books, movies, and plays. In Study 2 (N = 600), the link between EOT and this same fantasizing tendency was again mediated by features of SPS-in this case fantasy proneness and emotional reactivity.

Discussion

We suggest that, whereas individuals who score high on EOT have an impoverished fantasy life, those who score relatively low on EOT and turn their attention inward are able to maintain stronger representations of imagined events in working memory (enhancing the likelihood that they will be recalled) and react more strongly to these events (enhancing their salience). Stronger expression of these features of SPS, in turn, increases the likelihood that one will develop a cognitive style that involves the application of imagery-based strategies to support deep processing of the thoughts and feelings of characters depicted in narratives.

Individual differences in environmental sensitivity: associations between cognitive emotion regulation and mental health

Introduction

Environmental sensitivity is defined as the ability to perceive and process internal and external information. Previous studies have suggested that mental health-related factors differ by sensitivity level. This study aimed to investigate whether environmental sensitivity moderates the associations between cognitive emotion regulation strategies (e.g., rumination and blaming others) and mental health.

Materials and methods

In this three-wave longitudinal study, participants (N = 1,233, 585, and 349 at Times 1, 2, and 3, respectively) completed the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire-short and Kessler 10 scale at all the measurement points as well as the 10-item version of the Highly Sensitive Person scale and some covariates only at Time 1.

Results

Latent growth model analyses indicated that the blaming others strategy had contrastive effects on changes in mental health by sensitivity level; the increase in refocusing on planning was associated with improved mental health over time only for highly sensitive individuals; and the rumination and catastrophizing strategies were the most important risk factors for mental health problems, although their effects differed slightly by sensitivity level.

Conclusion

The associations between some of the cognitive strategies and mental health differ by environmental sensitivity level. Future investigations based on individual differences in sensitivity could provide innovative insights into practices.

Isolating unique variance in mental health outcomes attributable to personality variables and childhood emotional abuse

Introduction

University students are at high risk for anxiety and depression. Our main objective was to tease apart variance in symptom severity that was uniquely attributable to four associated variables that are frequently confounded: exposure to childhood emotional abuse, alexithymia, sensory processing sensitivity (SPS), and anxiety sensitivity (AS).

Methods

University students (N = 410) completed an online survey designed to measure our four key study variables along with several other potentially relevant variables including sex, physical activity levels, and perceived COVID-19 impacts.

Results

Over half of the participants reported moderate to extremely severe symptoms of anxiety and depression. Females reported stronger signs of SPS and AS and were more likely than males to have increased their moderate/vigorous exercise since the pandemic began. After controlling for the other variables, the best predictors of perceived COVID-19 impacts were SPS, childhood emotional abuse, and current levels of physical activity. Whereas all three personality variables and childhood emotional abuse emerged as significant predictors of both depression and anxiety, neither COVID-19 impacts nor physical activity levels accounted for unique variance in either model. Unexpectedly, male sex emerged as an additional risk factor for depression, raising the possibility that males experience unique stressors and societal pressures that increase their risk of depression.

Discussion

These findings help to clarify the links between childhood emotional abuse, personality traits implicated in emotional awareness and self-regulation, and mental health. They may have important implications for the development and implementation of individualized treatments for common mental disorders.

The pathway from sensory processing sensitivity to physical health: Stress as a mediator

Sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) has been proposed as an innate trait associated with differences in the processing and reactivity to internal and external stimuli. To date, there has been limited research on the association between SPS and physical health and only one study examining mediators of this relationship. The aim of this study was to examine psychological stress as a mediator of the SPS-health relationship in a predominately Hispanic sample of 923 adult undergraduates attending university between 2018 and 2020. We identified three SPS factors, each of which were associated with poorer physical health as assessed through two psychometrically validated self-report measures of physical symptoms. Additionally, we demonstrate that this relationship is mediated by perceived stress, suggesting that treatments focussed on stress reduction might be an avenue through which the impact of SPS on physical health can be modified.

Prevalence of Highly Sensitive Personality and Its Relationship With Depression, and Anxiety in the Saudi General Population

Background Highly sensitive personality (HSP) occurs in those who experience stronger processing of emotions and responses to both internal and external stimuli; this, in turn, could cause persons with highly sensitive personalities to suffer from affective disorders such as depression and anxiety at higher rates. This study aimed to measure the prevalence of highly sensitive personality and its relationship with depression and anxiety among the Saudi general population. Subject and methods This cross-sectional study was conducted among the general population in Saudi Arabia. A self-administered questionnaire was sent to the target population using an online survey. The questionnaire includes sociodemographic data (i.e., age, gender, marital status, etc.), the Highly Sensitive Person Scale to measure the degree of sensitivity, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) to measure anxiety and depression. Results Of the 438 participants, 72.6% were females, and 48.9% were aged between 18 to 25 years. The prevalence of HSP in this study was 29%. Abnormal levels of anxiety and depression were found in 29.5% and 19.9%, respectively. Significant relationships were observed between HSP in terms of anxiety (p<0.001) and depression (p=0.001). It is interesting to note that a previous diagnosis of mental disorder was identified as a significant risk factor for HSP, anxiety, and depression. Conclusion There was a high prevalence of HSP in our population, which was significantly associated with anxiety and depression. Further, female participants were more likely to exhibit HSP and anxiety but not depression. These findings highlight the importance of prevention programs intended for highly sensitive persons with associated mental conditions.

Study of the Relationship between Sensory Processing Sensitivity and Burnout Syndrome among Speech and Language Therapists

BACKGROUND

Burnout syndrome can arise due to either situational factors such as working conditions, or dispositional factors such as certain temperaments, like a high sensory processing sensitivity. We aim to address the relative absence of studies on speech-language therapists and seek to determine the role of high sensitivity for these healthcare workers in relation to burnout syndrome.

METHOD

The sample consisted of 602 female speech-language pathologists who anonymously completed a questionnaire measuring burnout (ProQOL 5th edition) and sensory processing sensitivity (HSPS-FR).

RESULTS

The results revealed that 77.41% of the participants reported moderate or high burnout scores. Furthermore, the analyses revealed that highly sensitive participants are more vulnerable to burnout than others.

CONCLUSION

This study highlights the negative impact of high sensory processing sensitivity on burnout. However, according to the kind of sensitivity, we discuss the way in which highly sensitive caregivers can master this sensitivity in order to use it as a strength in their professions and to spare themselves from suffering deleterious effects, such as compassion fatigue and/or burnout.

The Hysteric and the HSP

This paper examines twenty-first-century research on sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) alongside mid-nineteenth-century research on hysteria. Doing so sheds light on how we have long thought of sensorial-emotional experience as progressing along a medical narrative from cause to cure. Today's rhetoric around the highly sensitive person (HSP) begins to diverge from the rhetoric around hysteria through the theorized cause and the dismissal of the need for a cure. When current perspectives remove the emphasis on a cure, the narrative emphasizes a broader need for social-emotional learning and cultural revision to stigma around sensitivity.

Signaling High Sensitivity to Influence Others: Initial Evidence for the Roles of Reinforcement Sensitivity, Sensory Processing Sensitivity, and the Dark Triad

Signaling high sensitivity to others may help individuals with heightened sensitivity to stimuli to craft their social relations to a preferred activation level ("assertive signaling of specific needs" hypothesis). Signaling sensitivity could be also a deceptive strategy helping to extract resources or obtain the desired treatment ("deceptive signaling" hypothesis). The study presents the construction of the measure of signaling high sensitivity to influence others and an initial test of both hypotheses. Two hundred and one participants ranging in age from 18 to 67 (M = 25.6; SD = 7.03) reported on their reinforcement sensitivity (behavioral approach and inhibition system), sensory processing sensitivity, and the Dark Triad. Signaling high sensitivity to influence others was weakly, but significantly, associated with behavioral inhibition system sensitivity, which was consistent with the "assertive signaling of specific needs" hypothesis. The behavioral approach system was positively correlated with signaling high sensitivity, which indicated that this influence strategy could be treated as an assertive self-presentational strategy helping in achieving social rewards for individuals with high reward responsiveness. Narcissism and psychopathy accounted for an additional amount of variance in signaling high sensitivity over and beyond reinforcement sensitivity. This was consistent with the "deceptive signaling" hypothesis. Signaling high sensitivity could be regarded as a strategy to achieve social goals using deception rather than as an expression of sensitive personality.

Do highly sensitive persons display hypersensitive narcissism? Similarities and differences in the nomological networks of sensory processing sensitivity and vulnerable narcissism

BACKGROUND

Individuals with high sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) ("highly sensitive persons") are thought to be easily excitable and overwhelmed, highly attentive to aesthetic impressions, and particularly sensitive to sensory stimulation. Public discourse suggests that those who describe themselves as highly sensitive see themselves as fundamentally different from others, and view their personality as a gift and a burden. From a clinical personality perspective, high sensitivity could be considered to have substantial overlaps with hypersensitive narcissism, or generally vulnerable narcissism.

METHOD

We investigated the associations and shared nomological networks between high sensitivity and hypersensitive narcissism in two studies using convenience and representative samples (n₁  = 280, n₂  = 310).

RESULTS

There is evidence for replicable associations between SPS and hypersensitive (.53 ≤ r ≤ .54) as well as vulnerable narcissism (.44 ≤ r ≤ .54), associations were not attributable to general neuroticism. Nomological networks were similar and pointed to a neurotic-introverted personality profile with reduced personality functioning. Latent class analyses further pointed to substantial and practically relevant person-level covariance.

CONCLUSION

Sensory processing sensitivity and hypersensitive narcissism are substantially related constructs. For clinicians, this points to the importance of being attentive to narcissistic self-regulatory strategies in individuals presenting as highly sensitive.

HSPS-10-Short Version of the Highly Sensitive Person Scale for Students Aged 12-25 Years

The aim of the article is to present a short version of the Highly Sensitive Person Scale (HSPS-10) as a useful tool for the assessment of adolescents and young adults and to improve their self-awareness. (1) Background: The original American HSPS was developed as a tool for the assessment of Sensory Processing Sensitivity (SPS), which is understood to be an inherited temperamental trait. The basis for the research is the concept of SPS, which may be included within the broader construct of the Environmental Sensitivity (ES) model. (2) Methods: The research used a Polish-language, short version developed on the basis of the Highly Sensitive Person Scale, where the respondents answered 10 questions in a 7-point Likert scale. (3) Results: The test results show that the Polish, HSPS-10 is a reliable and valid measurement of the SPS construct and that the results obtained using the abbreviated version indicate a three-factor structure. The structure and psychometric properties of the tool are consistent across different age groups. (4) Conclusions: HSPS-10 is a simple and quick tool for group screenings as well as the individual assessment of school students and adults aged 12-25. The developed standardized procedure allows for the early recognition and identification of changes in the SPS over the course of life.

The relation between sensory processing sensitivity and telomere length in adolescents

BACKGROUND

In the present study, we investigated the association between sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) and telomere length (TL), which is considered a biomarker of cellular aging. SPS is an individual characteristic describing increased perception and procession of inner or outer stimuli, and is positively related to self-perceived stress.

METHODS

We recruited 82 healthy adolescents aged 13-16 from secondary schools in Germany. SPS was measured with the Highly Sensitive Person Scale, and TL was determined by a multiplex quantitative PCR method.

RESULTS

Our results show that students with higher values of SPS are likely to have shorter telomeres (β = 0.337, p = .001), when adjusting for sex, socioeconomic status, age, and body mass index. These findings are also independent of the negative impact of stress students might have perceived shortly before data collection.

CONCLUSIONS

Our analysis suggests that students who struggle with low sensory threshold are likely to have shorter telomeres.

Sensory Processing Sensitivity and Gastrointestinal Symptoms in Japanese Adults

BACKGROUND

Sensory processing sensitivity is a personality or temperamental trait defined as individual differences in the tendency to perceive and process both positive and negative stimuli and experiences. Studies have shown that high sensitivity is correlated with psychosocial health, including depression and anxiety. However, its relationship with physical health has not been clarified. To fill this gap, using a large sample size with sufficient statistical power, an adult sample not including university students, and a range of covariates, this study examined the association between gastrointestinal symptoms as an indicator of physical health and sensory processing sensitivity.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, the participants were 863 Japanese adults (female = 450; male = 413; M_age = 30.4 years; SD = 4.9) who completed a web-based questionnaire. We statistically controlled for sociodemographic characteristics and examined whether sensory processing sensitivity is correlated with gastrointestinal symptoms.

RESULTS

The results showed that highly sensitive individuals were more likely to experience a wide range of gastrointestinal symptoms in the past week, including reflux symptoms, abdominal pain, indigestion symptoms, diarrhea symptoms, and constipation symptoms, even when statistically controlling for the participants' sociodemographic characteristics.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that high sensory processing sensitivity is associated with physical health. Some of the potential causes of this are also discussed.

Relationship between Sensitivity Tendency and Psychological Stress Reactivity in Healthy Students

This study examined the relationship between sensory processing sensitivity and psychological stress reactivity in 69 healthy Japanese university students. The Japanese version of the Highly Sensitive Person Scale and the Japanese version of the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile were used for subjective assessment. The Galvanic skin response was measured as an objective measure of stress responses while the participants were completing the Stroop task. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test, the Spearman rank correlation coefficient, and the Mann−Whitney U test were conducted for data analysis. The results demonstrated that there was no significant correlation between the Japanese version of the Highly Sensitive Person Scale and Galvanic skin response. However, there was a marginal trend toward significance between low registration in the Japanese version of the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile and Galvanic skin response (rs = 0.231, p < 0.10; rs = 0.219, p < 0.10), suggesting that self-rated sensitivity was not necessarily associated with objective measures. These results indicate that sensory processing sensitivity analyses require the consideration of the traits and characteristics of the participants and multifaceted evaluations using a sensitivity assessment scale other than the Japanese version of the Highly Sensitive Person Scale.

Sensory processing sensitivity behavior moderates the association between environmental harshness, unpredictability, and child socioemotional functioning

Building on Ellis et al.'s theorization for potent dimensions of environmental adversity, the present work sought to evaluate how environmental harshness and unpredictability might function directly and in interaction with child sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) to shape the development of child socioemotional functioning. Participants were 235 young children (M_age = 2.97 at the first measurement occasion) and their parents, who were followed for two consecutive annual measurement occasions. Child SPS was measured through behavioral observation across multiple tasks within the laboratory setting. Greater environmental unpredictability was significantly associated with the development of children's externalizing problems over a year only for children with high SPS. Follow-up analyses indicated that the unpredictability-x-SPS interaction was consistent with differential susceptibility, such that high SPS children showed greater increases in externalizing problems under high unpredictability, but also lower increases/greater decreases in externalizing problems under low unpredictability. Such association did not apply to children with low SPS.

Health anxiety During COVID-19: Predictive Roles of Health Promoting Behaviors and Sensory Processing Sensitivity

OBJECTIVE

The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in major changes in daily life and economic conditions while heightening physical and mental health problems, including health anxiety. Health authorities and elected officials have encouraged individuals to engage in health behaviors. Perceptions of and reactions to these changes could be subject to individual differences. In this line, the current study investigated the predictive roles of health promoting behaviors, sensory processing sensitivity, and their interactions with health anxiety.Design and measures: In this cross-sectional study, 355 participants (73% female, 25.9% male) whose ages range from 19 to 72 (M = 25.91, SD = 9.80) filled out self-reported measures on health promoting behaviors, sensory processing sensitivity, and health anxiety via an online platform between April and May 2020.

RESULTS

It was revealed that caring for a healthy diet, taking responsibility for health and sensory processing sensitivity, but not physical activity and stress management, were associated with health anxiety. Diagnoses and perceptions of physical and mental health problems also contributed to health anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic.

CONCLUSION

Individuals with higher levels of sensory processing sensitivity and health responsibility were more likely to experience higher levels of health anxiety, while typical physical activities and stress management behaviors were less likely to have an impact during the COVID-19 pandemic. These results highlight the importance of having a healthy diet and the need for pandemic-specific interventions for stress management and sport activities.

Sensory Processing Sensitivity Questionnaire: A Psychometric Evaluation and Associations with Experiencing the COVID-19 Pandemic

Sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) is a common human neurobiological trait that is related to many areas of human life. This trait has recently received increased public interest. However, solid scientific research on SPS is lagging behind. Progress in this area is also hindered by a lack of comprehensive research tools suitable for a rapid assessment of SPS. Thus, the aim of this study was to offer a newly developed tool, the Sensory Processing Sensitivity Questionnaire (SPSQ), and to assess its psychometric properties and associations with emotional and relational variables measured during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. We found the tool to have good psychometric characteristics: high temporal stability (r = 0.95) and excellent internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.92; McDonald’s ω = 0.92). The fit of the SPSQ bi-factor model was satisfactory: χ² (88.0) = 506.141; p < 0.001; CFI = 0.993; TLI = 0.990; RMSEA = 0.070; SRMR = 0.039. Testing of configural, metric, scalar and strict invariance suggested that the SPSQ assesses SPS equivalently between males and females. The scale’s validity was supported via a strong association with an existing SPS measure. Further, we observed higher total SPSQ scores among women, students and religious respondents, and we found that more sensitive respondents reported higher feelings of anxiety and more deterioration in relationships during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, this study also identifies people with this trait as being potentially more vulnerable during periods of an increased presence of global stressors.

Exploring Protective Factors in Wellbeing: How Sensory Processing Sensitivity and Attention Awareness Interact With Resilience

The aim of the study is to analyze the relationship between sensory processing sensitivity (SPS), attention awareness, and resilience and to determine whether attention awareness may moderate the relation between sensitivity and resilience. The sample consisted of 273 adults (239 women; M_age=24.12, SD=6.59years). The highly sensitive person scale, the resiliency assessment scale, and the mindful attention awareness scale were used in the study. The results indicate significant relationships between SPS and resilience; emotional reactivity is especially associated with lower resilience, whereas sensing the subtle is associated with higher resilience. The regression analyses revealed that SPS is a significant predictor of resilience, but diverse aspects of sensitivity explain resilience differently. Attentional awareness was found to be a significant moderator that strengthens the positive relationship between sensing the subtle and tolerance of negative emotions. The consequences of high sensitivity include high levels of distress, anxiety, and a sense of overload; therefore, searching for protective factors is important to maintain the wellbeing of highly sensitive people. As one of the characteristics of highly sensitive persons, sensing the subtle may be an important resource that allows to them to deal effectively with difficult situations. Training on attention awareness and conscious presence may be an important way to deal with negative emotions and develop personal competences. The results indicate that these strategies may be of high significance for improving wellbeing and protecting highly sensitive persons against various stress factors.

Family context in association with the development of child sensory processing sensitivity

Informed by the biological sensitivity to the context (BSC) theory, this multimethod, longitudinal study sought to examine how family context may be associated with the development of child sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) over a year. Participants were 235 young children (Mage = 2.97 at the first measurement occasion, 55.3% were girls) and their parents (median annual household income: $55,000 to 74,999), who were followed for two annual measurement occasions. These children consisted of 56.2% White, 21.3% African American, and 16.2% mixed race. Child SPS was measured via behavioral observation within multiple laboratory tasks at both waves and exhibited moderate stability over time. A curvilinear association between environmental harshness and the change in child SPS emerged, which proved consistent with the U-shaped pattern hypothesized by the BSC theory. Children remain at similar levels of SPS over the year under low and high levels of environmental harshness but exhibited decreases in SPS under moderate levels of environmental harshness. A follow-up exploration for the developmental implication of SPS change showed that children with higher SPS benefited more from the supportive environment by developing greater cognitive and behavioral functioning. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

The peril and promise of sensitivity in eating disorders

Differential susceptibility, a reconceptualization of the diathesis-stress model of psychopathology, describes gene-environment interactions that reflect individual differences in responsiveness to environmental influences, both detrimental and beneficial. This model has been described metaphorically by the classification of orchids, which thrive under optimal care but wither under adverse conditions, and dandelions, which weather broad environmental circumstances but are less responsive to careful cultivation. Etiological research in the field of eating disorders has largely focused on the identification of specific behavioral phenotypes, temperamental traits, genotypes and neurobiological processes that confer risk. In this article, we propose that these putative vulnerability factors represent phenotypes and endophenotypes of a genetic predisposition towards environmental sensitivity. We assert that this sensitivity not only transmits eating disorder risk but also confers resilience, depending on the circumstances. In particular, we propose that differential susceptibility can be used as a framework to organize disparate temperamental and neurobiological findings and their complex interplay with various developmental, environmental and sociocultural influences to increase eating disorder risk and treatment responsiveness. Finally, we assert that viewed through the lens of differential susceptibility, sensitivity can be leveraged to refine our interventions and develop novel treatment and prevention strategies to support favorable outcomes for individuals with eating disorders.

Experiences of Adults High in the Personality Trait Sensory Processing Sensitivity: A Qualitative Study

Sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) is a personality trait reflecting inter-individual differences in sensitivity to negative and positive environmental information. Being high in SPS is associated with increased stress-related problems if environments are unfavourable but also appears to enhance one’s ability to benefit from health-promoting environments. In understanding SPS, therefore, lies the potential for innovating the ways we use to promote mental health. However, as a young research field, the core characteristics of SPS are yet debated. Qualitative research interviewing highly sensitive adults is important to conduct ecologically valid research connected with the complex realities of people. This study was the first to systematically report the perceptions and experiences of SPS characteristics in adults high in this trait. Semi-structured interviews (n = 26) were analysed thematically and described following consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research. Six themes emerged: (1) emotional responding; (2) relatedness to others; (3) thinking; (4) overstimulation; (5) perceiving details; and (6) global SPS characteristics. With regards to coping with negative consequences of high SPS, the main themes were: (1) reducing sensory input and (2) psychological strategies. We gained fine-grained information on experiences of adults high in SPS and derived new hypotheses regarding the fostering of well-being related to high SPS.

Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Validation of the Highly Sensitive Person Scale to the Adult Spanish Population (HSPS-S)

Purpose

This article describes a cross-cultural adaptation of the Highly Sensitive Person Scale (HSPS) to the adult Spanish population, and psychometric analysis of its validation and reliability.

Methods

Convenience sampling by participant accessibility was used. The original version was adapted culturally and linguistically using the back-translation method, and a pilot study was done with 88 participants. Data processing and analysis was performed with the SPSS v.25 and LISREL v.9.2 statistical packages. The psychometric properties were studied in a sample of 8358 participants using exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis, and examining factorial invariance and internal consistency.

Results

The results confirmed a Spanish version with 27 items in five-dimensions: sensitivity to overstimulation (SOS), aesthetic sensitivity (AES), low sensory threshold (LST), fine psychophysiological discrimination (FPD) and harm avoidance (HA). Invariance across gender of this factor structure was demonstrated and reliability indices were good.

Conclusion

These findings demonstrate that the HSPS is an appropriate tool for evaluating high sensitivity in the adult Spanish population.

Short Polish version of the Highly Sensitive Person Scale - exploring its multidimensional structure in a sample of emerging adults

BACKGROUND

Sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) is a heritable trait and persons who are characterized by a high level of it are termed highly sensitive. The first and the most frequently used scale developed to measure high sensitivity is the Highly Sensitive Person Scale (HSPS), which has become increasingly popular and has been adapted to many languages in recent years. The present article forms a part of the publications which deal with the subject of tool adaptation and the exploration of their structure.

PARTICIPANTS AND PROCEDURE

This article presents the results of research conducted on a Polish sample of emerging adults consisting of 470 persons. The aim of this study is to further analyse the psychometric properties of the HSPS, as well as to provide initial evidence for the properties of the scale on a Polish sample. The analyses conducted to date have been extended and the item response theory (IRT) model has been included. Also, a proposal for a shortened scale is presented.

RESULTS

The results show that the Polish version of the HSPS constitutes a reliable method whose validity is proven by correlations with the Pavlovian Temperament Survey as well as being a reliable measure of the SPS construct.

CONCLUSIONS

The results obtained support the multi-factor structure of the scale. There is a need for further analysis of the cultural aspect in sensitivity studies as well as for exploring gender differences.

Alexithymia and Sensory Processing Sensitivity: Areas of Overlap and Links to Sensory Processing Styles

Alexithymia is a dimensional trait characterized by difficulties identifying and describing feelings and an externally oriented thinking (EOT) style. Here, we explored interrelationships between alexithymia and measures assessing how individuals process and regulate their responses to environmental and body-based cues. Young adults (N = 201) completed self-report questionnaires assessing alexithymia, sensory processing sensitivity (SPS), interoceptive accuracy (IA), sensory processing styles, and current levels of depression, anxiety, and stress. Whereas EOT was related to low orienting sensitivity, problems with emotional appraisal (difficulties identifying feelings/difficulties describing feelings) were related to heightened sensory sensitivity. In addition, features of SPS improved the prediction of alexithymia above and beyond that accounted for by IA. We suggest that EOT is linked to problems maintaining a representation of one’s emotions in working memory and that low IA and problems with emotional appraisal are linked to atypicalities in sensory processing that may impact embodiment. A latent profile analysis revealed five classes of individuals distinguished by the relative strength of different alexithymic traits and by differences in IA and sensory processing styles. The classes identified included two lexithymic, one modal, and two alexithymic groups, showing different susceptibilities to SPS. Overall, our findings lend support to the view that alexithymia is associated with atypicalities in both bottom–up and top–down processes that impact emotion processing and regulation. They also raise the possibility that individuals with different alexithymia subtypes may differ with regard to a range of factors, including not only SPS but also early life experiences, mental health outcomes, and susceptibility to various personality disorders.

Dental Anxiety and Higher Sensory Processing Sensitivity in a Sample of German Soldiers with Inflammatory Periodontal Disease

(1) Background: Dental anxiety with disease value usually leads to avoidance of dental treatment. For the initial diagnosis of the level of anxiety, questionnaires such as the Hierarchical Anxiety Questionnaire (HAQ) are suitable. The construct of sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) describes a general trait in which people with a higher degree of SPS perceive information more strongly and process it more thoroughly. (2) Methods: This cross-sectional study evaluated the relationship between dental anxiety and higher levels of SPS in 116 soldiers referred with different stages of periodontitis for mandatory dental fitness before military deployment. (3) Results: The proportion of patients with periodontitis in stage III + IV was 39% and in stage I + II was 27%. The mean cumulative values of the questionnaires were 20.9 ± 10.6 for HAQ and 27.7 ± 16.0 for SPS. Eleven moderately anxious patients had a SPS value of 37.4 ± 13.5 and 10 highly anxious patients had a value of 36.3 ± 14.1. Patients diagnosed with stage III + IV periodontitis showed significantly higher values on the SPS subscale Low Sensory Threshold (LST), which describes overstimulation by external sensory stimuli, compared to patients with stage I + II periodontitis. Dental anxiety showed moderately significant correlations with the SPS subscale Ease of Excitation (EOE), which measures emotional reactivity to physiological stimuli. (4) Conclusions: Due to the frequency of dental anxiety and higher sensitivity in patients with severe periodontitis, it is useful to record said frequency.

Sensory Processing Sensitivity and Compassion Satisfaction as Risk/Protective Factors from Burnout and Compassion Fatigue in Healthcare and Education Professionals

The study analyzes sensory processing sensitivity and the compassion satisfaction as risk/protective factors against burnout and compassion fatigue, during the first period of the COVID-19 health emergency. A sample of 1566 Spanish adult healthcare (n = 694) and education (n = 872) professionals was evaluated. An ad hoc questionnaire for sociodemographic data, and the highly sensitive person scale (HSPS), Maslach burnout inventory (MBI) and professional quality of life scale (ProQOL-vIV) were administered. Burnout and compassion fatigue were observed in the healthcare and education professionals, where personal realization and depersonalization were higher in healthcare and compassion fatigue in education. The protective role of compassion satisfaction was confirmed, as was sensory processing sensitivity as a risk factor, except for its low sensory threshold dimension, which positively influenced personal realization. The findings of this study demonstrate the presence of burnout and compassion fatigue in healthcare and education professionals, displaying compassion fatigue as an emerging psychosocial risk in education, which was made more severe under the conditions of study, which is at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The importance of incorporating adequate management strategies for high sensitivity, empathy and compassion satisfaction in prevention programs is emphasized.

Improving the Measurement of Environmental Sensitivity in Children and Adolescents: The Highly Sensitive Child Scale-21 Item Version

Children differ in their sensitivity to positive and negative environmental influences, which can be measured with the Highly Sensitive Child (HSC) scale. The present study introduces the HSC-21, an adaptation of the original 12 item scale with new items and factor structure that are meant to be more informative than the original ones. The psychometric properties of the HSC-21 were investigated in 1,088 children across Belgium and the Netherlands, including child and mother reports. Results showed evidence for (a) bifactor model with a general sensitivity factor and two specific factors (i.e., Ease of Excitation-Low Sensory Threshold and Aesthetic Sensitivity); (b) (partial) measurement invariance across gender, developmental stage, country, and informants; (c) moderate child-mother agreement; (d) good reliability; (e) normally distributed item scores; and (f) meaningful associations with personality and temperament across both samples. No evidence was found for HSC-21 as a moderator in the relationship between parenting and problem behaviors.

Alexithymia and the Evaluation of Emotionally Valenced Scenes

Alexithymia is a personality trait characterized by difficulties identifying and describing feelings (DIF and DDF) and an externally oriented thinking (EOT) style. The primary aim of the present study was to investigate links between alexithymia and the evaluation of emotional scenes. We also investigated whether viewers' evaluations of emotional scenes were better predicted by specific alexithymic traits or by individual differences in sensory processing sensitivity (SPS). Participants (N = 106) completed measures of alexithymia and SPS along with a task requiring speeded judgments of the pleasantness of 120 moderately arousing scenes. We did not replicate laterality effects previously described with the scene perception task. Compared to those with weak alexithymic traits, individuals with moderate-to-strong alexithymic traits were less likely to classify positively valenced scenes as pleasant and were less likely to classify scenes with (vs. without) implied motion (IM) in a way that was consistent with normative scene valence ratings. In addition, regression analyses confirmed that reporting strong EOT and a tendency to be easily overwhelmed by busy sensory environments negatively predicted classification accuracy for positive scenes, and that both DDF and EOT negatively predicted classification accuracy for scenes depicting IM. These findings highlight the importance of accounting for stimulus characteristics and individual differences in specific traits associated with alexithymia and SPS when investigating the processing of emotional stimuli. Learning more about the links between these individual difference variables may have significant clinical implications, given that alexithymia is an important, transdiagnostic risk factor for a wide range of psychopathologies.

Psychometric Properties Of The Highly Sensitive Person Scale In Mexican Population

Sensory Processing Sensitivity (SPS) is a genetically-determined trait that allows people to notice external and internal subtleties in sensory stimuli easily. This feature provides certain advantages to those who possess it, such as, greater empathy, artistic tastes or skills, also, this people can get greater benefit in circumstances with little exposure to sensory input. However, an unfavorable feature of the trait is an increased vulnerability to development psychopathology. In Mexico there is not an instrument to assess the presence of the SPS, thus, the purpose of this research was to analyze the psychometric properties of the Highly Sensitive Person Scale (HSP Scale) in Mexican population. The results showed that the adaptation of HSP Scale has adequate psychometric properties, so the essential contribution of this study is to provide a reliable and valid instrument that allows to discriminate the presence of the SPS.

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Burnout and professional quality of life among Israeli dentists: the role of sensory processing sensitivity

AIM

Dentistry is a stressful and exhausting profession with high levels of burnout. Sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) is a basic personality trait characterised by a gradient of sensitivity to both internal and external stimuli, including social and emotional cues. In this study, the influence of SPS on burnout and professional quality of life among Israeli dentists was analysed.

METHODS

Two-hundred and forty-three Israeli dentists responded to questionnaires that collected information on their SPS and professional quality of life (burnout, satisfaction at work and level of secondary traumatic stress), as well demographic variables, professional specialisation and workload.

RESULTS

Linear regression analyses showed that burnout can be predicted by the three aspects of SPS (ease of excitation, low sensory threshold and aesthetic sensitivity; 32% of the variance). Additionally, the same three aspects of SPS also predicted dentists' satisfaction at work (24% of the variance). Ease of excitation and low sensory threshold, but not aesthetic sensitivity, predicted dentists' reaction to their patients' stress and trauma (23% of the variance).

CONCLUSIONS

Sensory processing sensitivity can serve as a tool to identify dentists who are prone to develop burnout and whose professional quality of life can be adversely affected by their profession.

The functional highly sensitive brain: a review of the brain circuits underlying sensory processing sensitivity and seemingly related disorders

During the past decade, research on the biological basis of sensory processing sensitivity (SPS)—a genetically based trait associated with greater sensitivity and responsivity to environmental and social stimuli—has burgeoned. As researchers try to characterize this trait, it is still unclear how SPS is distinct from seemingly related clinical disorders that have overlapping symptoms, such as sensitivity to the environment and hyper-responsiveness to incoming stimuli. Thus, in this review, we compare the neural regions implicated in SPS with those found in fMRI studies of—Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Schizophrenia (SZ) and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) to elucidate the neural markers and cardinal features of SPS versus these seemingly related clinical disorders. We propose that SPS is a stable trait that is characterized by greater empathy, awareness, responsivity and depth of processing to salient stimuli. We conclude that SPS is distinct from ASD, SZ and PTSD in that in response to social and emotional stimuli, SPS differentially engages brain regions involved in reward processing, memory, physiological homeostasis, self-other processing, empathy and awareness. We suggest that this serves species survival via deep integration and memory for environmental and social information that may subserve well-being and cooperation.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Diverse perspectives on diversity: multi-disciplinary approaches to taxonomies of individual differences’.

The Role of Attachment Insecurity and Big Five Traits on Sensory Processing Sensitivity

This study examined the interplay between behavioral inhibition/activation systems (BIS/BAS) sensitivity, attachment insecurity (i.e., anxiety and avoidance), and Big Five personality traits in predicting sensory processing sensitivity (SPS). We have specifically tested three alternative theoretical models to explain the process through which BIS/BAS sensitivity link to SPS; unique effects of attachment dimensions and personality traits, as well as moderating and mediating role of these variables. Participants (N = 494) completed the highly sensitive Person scale, BIS/BAS scales, experiences in close relationships-revised scale, and big five inventory. The findings revealed the complex role of attachment dimensions and personality traits on SPS. Attachment avoidance, but not attachment anxiety, moderated the effect of BIS activity on SPS indicating that, compared to those with high BIS sensitivity, those with low levels of both BIS and attachment avoidance reported lower level of SPS. Attachment anxiety, neuroticism, extraversion, and openness partially mediated the effects of BIS on SPS. Conceptual implications of the findings and suggestions for future research are discussed.

The highly sensitive brain: an fMRI study of sensory processing sensitivity and response to others' emotions

BACKGROUND

Theory and research suggest that sensory processing sensitivity (SPS), found in roughly 20% of humans and over 100 other species, is a trait associated with greater sensitivity and responsiveness to the environment and to social stimuli. Self-report studies have shown that high-SPS individuals are strongly affected by others' moods, but no previous study has examined neural systems engaged in response to others' emotions.

METHODS

This study examined the neural correlates of SPS (measured by the standard short-form Highly Sensitive Person [HSP] scale) among 18 participants (10 females) while viewing photos of their romantic partners and of strangers displaying positive, negative, or neutral facial expressions. One year apart, 13 of the 18 participants were scanned twice.

RESULTS

Across all conditions, HSP scores were associated with increased brain activation of regions involved in attention and action planning (in the cingulate and premotor area [PMA]). For happy and sad photo conditions, SPS was associated with activation of brain regions involved in awareness, integration of sensory information, empathy, and action planning (e.g., cingulate, insula, inferior frontal gyrus [IFG], middle temporal gyrus [MTG], and PMA).

CONCLUSIONS

As predicted, for partner images and for happy facial photos, HSP scores were associated with stronger activation of brain regions involved in awareness, empathy, and self-other processing. These results provide evidence that awareness and responsiveness are fundamental features of SPS, and show how the brain may mediate these traits.