The concept
Elaine Aron and Arthur Aron introduced the idea in the 1990s, along with a questionnaire to assess it. They argued that sensitivity was distinct from introversion and proposed that some people more readily notice subtleties and feel overstimulated by intense environments. It is not a disorder or a diagnosis.
Sensitivity to good and bad
Later research places the trait within a broader framework of environmental sensitivity. Some people may be more affected by both harsh and supportive conditions, and so may suffer more in difficult settings and gain more in good ones. Work in children has suggested that sensitivity levels form loose groups along a continuum.
What remains unsettled
The trait overlaps with neuroticism and openness, so researchers ask how much it adds beyond them. Much of the literature depends on self-report, and neurobiological findings remain preliminary. Popular claims about specific percentages of highly sensitive people or about gifts unique to them should be treated carefully.
Further reading
- Aron, E. N., & Aron, A. (1997). Sensory-processing sensitivity and its relation to introversion and emotionality. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 73, 345-368.
- Greven, C. U., et al. (2019). Sensory Processing Sensitivity in the context of Environmental Sensitivity: A critical review and development of research agenda. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 98, 287-305.