Thank you for completing the sensitive personality tool. You’ve taken the first step towards learning more about aspects of your personality. Below, you will find some general information as an introduction to this trait.

It is important to remember that although psychologists try to develop good quality questions, no psychological test is so accurate that you can base your life on it. Researchers have created cut-off scores based on average responses, but individuals can vary above and below these responses. When thinking about your sensitivity score, try to read without self-judgement, and simply think about what insights come to you as you look at your result.

General Insights on sensitive personality

Sensitive personality – also known as Sensory Processing Sensitivity (SPS) or being a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) – is a normal personality trait, it is not a disorder or a diagnosis. When people complete the sensitive personality tool, the scores are divided into three groups: low sensitivity (roughly 30%), medium sensitivity (roughly 40%), and high sensitivity (roughly 30%); therefore, a minority of the population is more sensitive than the majority. There are equal numbers of men and women who have the high sensitivity trait, and about 30% of HSPs are socially extraverted. Research has also shown us that the brains of HSPs work a little differently.

High levels of sensitivity can influence day-to-day living in some of the following ways (please note this list provides only a few instances) for example:

1. In new situations, you may tend to watch and observe before entering or joining in. You may be slow in making decisions – wanting to consider every detail and possible outcome before acting
2. You may have a strong sense of social justice and be conscientious due to being attuned to causes and consequences
3. Changes (e.g., moving to a new house, travel, changing jobs etc.) may cause a high amount of distress and/or exhaustion.
4. You may speak in an indirect, considerate way, e.g. “Does it seem warm in here to you?”

2. Medium levels of sensitivity may experience some degree of the emotions and feelings of high sensitivity, but often to a lesser degree, and/or feeling the impact in fewer areas.
3. Low levels of sensitivity might only rarely be bothered by some of the above aspects or be very mildly affected, or not bothered at all.

Knowledge is power: knowing about your levels of sensitivity – and learning more about the trait and how it affects you personally – means you can (if you wish) start taking into account your sensitivity as you go about your daily life.

My research focuses on HSP and high levels of wellbeing. The first publication from my research can be found here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41599-020-0482-8

You can read a summary of the article on the blog.

I hope that by completing the sensitivity tool and learning about your level of sensitivity, this might provide you with some insights that may be actionable, e.g. learning more about High Sensitivity, or creating a self-care plan. Along these lines, when reading about some of the ways the sensitivity trait can affect individuals, you might ask yourself the following types of questions:

• Have I been self-critical regarding aspects of my sensitivity?
• What is my inner dialogue regarding aspects of sensitivity? Do I want to start thinking differently (or rearrange my mental furniture, so to speak) and begin learning to accept and value my sensitivity?
• Can I take some steps to learn more about high sensitivity? (The links on this page may be a good starting point)
• Can I make some small changes to start developing a self-care plan for myself?

There are no right or wrong answers for these questions – they’re designed to help you genuinely look at some of your inner dialogue and attitudes towards your sensitivity. We do hope, however, that your insights regarding your sensitivity prove to be actionable. Along those lines, here are some questions that we hope prove helpful:

• How much time am I willing to set aside to learn more/accept and value my sensitivity/create a self-care plan each day/week?
• Which area would I like to focus on? (It’s usually a good idea to choose just one area to focus on, and make one small change at a time)

Links to other research and resources

Dr Elaine Aron is perhaps the world’s foremost expert on sensitive personality, having first identified the trait in 1997 and researched it for the past twenty years. Dr Aron is a counselling psychologist and researcher, and has worked extensively with highly sensitive people in her clinical practice. She has written several excellent books which provide more in-depth information about SPS and offer plenty of practical suggestions to help develop your own self-care plan. Links to purchase Dr. Aron’s books can be found on her website, along with a range of free resources, e.g., research articles, and regular newsletters written by Dr Aron which you can subscribe to. Dr Aron also features in a documentary “Sensitive: The Movie” which has recently been released, where research findings on sensitive personality are clearly explained by several researchers, and interviews conducted are with people who have high levels of sensitivity themselves. There is a Facebook page for the movie, and it occasionally posts other relevant information and material. Dr Aron also writes a blog for Psychology Today titled “Attending to the Undervalued Self” where you can read a number of articles which are geared toward those high in sensitivity.

Dr Aron's website: hsperson.com

'Sensitive: The Movie' Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/sensitivethemovie/

Dr Aron's Psychology Today blog: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/attending-the-undervalued-self

 

Dr Ted Zeff is another counselling psychologist who specialised in working with highly sensitive people - in particular, highly sensitive men and boys. He has authored several books on the trait of High Sensitivity which are available - along with other resources - from his website. (Sadly, Dr Zeff passed away in 2019).

Dr Zeff's website: http://www.drtedzeff.com/

Dr Zeff's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Dr-Ted-Zeff-141625881241/

 

Dr Tracy Cooper has researched highly sensitive people and careers, and writes a blog on the high-sensation-seeking highly sensitive person. Dr Cooper has authored two books on these topics which are available through his website (where you can also read his blog).

Dr Cooper's website: http://www.drtracycooper.com/home.html

 

Another useful resource is the UK-based National Center for High Sensitivity, which was founded by a therapist, Barbara Allen-Williams, who has worked extensively with HSPs. This website also includes free resources, along with an optional monthly newsletter subscription, and associated Facebook page.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NCHS.UK/

 

The Sensitivity Research website is run by researchers dedicated to sharing reliable and evidence-based knowledge on the sensitivity trait.

Sensitivity Research website: https://sensitivityresearch.com/

Sensitivity Research Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sensitivityresearch

 

Vantage is a charitable, non-profit organisation working to increase awareness and acceptance of high sensitivity.

Vantage website: https://vantagesensitivity.org/

Vantage Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Vantagesensitivity