Blogs
Summary of the 2nd International Conference on Sensitivity Research
The 2nd International Conference on Sensitivity Research took place online on the 22nd of May, 2024. In this blog post, we summarize the meeting and highlight some key contributions from various sensitivity researchers.
Beyond Restless: Understanding Sleep Challenges for Highly Sensitive Persons
We investigated the relationship between sensory processing sensitivity and insomnia symptoms, testing the hypothesis that daily stressors would impact highly sensitive persons during nighttime.
We found that heightened sleep reactivity explains the relationship between sensitivity and sleep disruption. This study holds potential for helping sensitive people overcome their sleep problems.
An Overstimulated Consumer in a Highly Visual World: the HSP Trait
Research shows that people react differently to similar stimuli due to differences in their personality. This research study focuses on how people with higher sensitivity to external stimuli – commonly defined as Highly Sensitive Persons (HSPs) – react when exposed to adverts with excessive visual stimuli (i.e., colour, dynamic imagery, complex layouts).
Sensitive Adolescents with an Immigrant Background Benefit More from an Intervention Promoting Cultural Identity Development
In a randomized controlled trial conducted in Italy, we found that an 8-week school-based intervention targeting cultural identity development (i.e., Identity Project) was efficacious in promoting adolescents’ identity exploration. Highly sensitive adolescents with an immigrant background benefited the most from the intervention, providing support for the vantage sensitivity hypothesis.
Connecting the Dots between Sensitivity and Physical Health: the role of Psychological Stress
In our study on sensory processing sensitivity (SPS), health, and perceived stress, we observed that perceived stress acts as a mediator between SPS and poor physical health, particularly in a predominantly Hispanic population.
This suggests that prioritizing stress reduction may enhance the impact of SPS on physical health.
Are Gifted Individuals Truly Highly Sensitive? Unraveling the Connection
In our study, we investigated whether gifted individuals exhibit higher scores on Sensory Processing Sensitivity (SPS). Findings indicate that gifted individuals have lower scores on negative aspects of sensitivity, such as Emotional and Physiological Reactivity, while scoring higher on positive aspects, such as Aesthetic Sensitivity. These differences are partially explained by lower Neuroticism and higher Openness among gifted respondents.
Investigating Sensitivity Through the Lens of Parents
We validated the Italian parent-report version of the Highly Sensitive Child scale in three studies. We found that the parent-report version of the HSC scale is a psychometrically robust measure that reliably captures individual differences in children’s response to environmental influences.
The Developmental Origins of High Sensitivity
Amongst 858 members of a large longitudinal birth cohort, we found that high sensitivity in adulthood (28-29 years old) is common in individuals that had short gestational periods (< 38 weeks), and/or are born following stressful pregnancies. Our findings support existing evolutionary theory regarding the development of sensitivity.
Measuring Sensitivity in Chinese Children
We translated the most-used sensitivity questionnaire for children into Chinese and studied how well it worked for Chinese children. Our results from two studies are promising: our Chinese version of the Highly Sensitive Child Questionnaire aligned in most aspects with similar studies conducted globally.
Individual Differences in Environmental Sensitivity and Gut Health
Our study showed that highly sensitive individuals exhibit higher inflammation at lower levels of gut microbiota diversity, whereas no association with inflammation was demonstrated at higher levels of gut microbiota diversity. Individual differences in environmental sensitivity may moderate the association between gut microbiota and inflammatory biomarkers of stress-related psychiatric symptoms.