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An investigation testing the perceptual advantage of Sensory Processing Sensitivity and its associations with the Big Five personality traits

Jess Williams, Mark Blagrove

Journal of Research in Personality, Volume: 113, Start page: 104539

Swansea University Authors: Jess Williams, Mark Blagrove

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DOI (Published version): 10.1016/j.jrp.2024.104539

Abstract

This study investigated whether sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) is associated with a perceptual advantage, rather than just heightened brain, emotional and behavioural reactivity. Participants (N = 222) were tested on detection and identification of visually degraded words at three levels of di...

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Published in: Journal of Research in Personality
ISSN: 0092-6566 1095-7251
Published: Elsevier BV 2024
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URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa67658
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spelling 2025-09-11T09:16:42.0605035 v2 67658 2024-09-12 An investigation testing the perceptual advantage of Sensory Processing Sensitivity and its associations with the Big Five personality traits 03415d4e006da3286f4bd0a26db83d84 Jess Williams Jess Williams true false 8c78ee008e650b9f0a463bae56a5636c Mark Blagrove Mark Blagrove true false 2024-09-12 This study investigated whether sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) is associated with a perceptual advantage, rather than just heightened brain, emotional and behavioural reactivity. Participants (N = 222) were tested on detection and identification of visually degraded words at three levels of difficulty, and completed the Highly Sensitive Person Scale (HSPS) and the Big Five Inventory. The positive subscale of the HSPS predicted both the detection and identification of visually degraded stimuli, and beyond the Big Five traits. This contradicts claims that SPS is solely a combination of Big Five traits. Importantly, the perceptual advantage for highly sensitives may balance the disadvantages of being easily overwhelmed by stimuli and indicates separate evolutionary advantages and strategies for high and low SPS humans and other mammals. Journal Article Journal of Research in Personality 113 104539 Elsevier BV 0092-6566 1095-7251 Sensory Processing Sensitivity; Highly Sensitive Person Scale; Highly Sensitve Person; Big Five; Perceptual ability 1 12 2024 2024-12-01 10.1016/j.jrp.2024.104539 COLLEGE NANME COLLEGE CODE Swansea University SU Library paid the OA fee (TA Institutional Deal) Swansea University 2025-09-11T09:16:42.0605035 2024-09-12T11:11:40.6565830 Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences School of Psychology Jess Williams 1 Mark Blagrove 2 67658__31484__1aafe66629a24f3f9df9f36dd118fdd3.pdf Williams_Blagrove_2024.pdf 2024-09-30T19:45:51.6737217 Output 3212711 application/pdf Version of Record true © 2024 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CC BY license. true eng http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
title An investigation testing the perceptual advantage of Sensory Processing Sensitivity and its associations with the Big Five personality traits
spellingShingle An investigation testing the perceptual advantage of Sensory Processing Sensitivity and its associations with the Big Five personality traits
Jess Williams
Mark Blagrove
title_short An investigation testing the perceptual advantage of Sensory Processing Sensitivity and its associations with the Big Five personality traits
title_full An investigation testing the perceptual advantage of Sensory Processing Sensitivity and its associations with the Big Five personality traits
title_fullStr An investigation testing the perceptual advantage of Sensory Processing Sensitivity and its associations with the Big Five personality traits
title_full_unstemmed An investigation testing the perceptual advantage of Sensory Processing Sensitivity and its associations with the Big Five personality traits
title_sort An investigation testing the perceptual advantage of Sensory Processing Sensitivity and its associations with the Big Five personality traits
author_id_str_mv 03415d4e006da3286f4bd0a26db83d84
8c78ee008e650b9f0a463bae56a5636c
author_id_fullname_str_mv 03415d4e006da3286f4bd0a26db83d84_***_Jess Williams
8c78ee008e650b9f0a463bae56a5636c_***_Mark Blagrove
author Jess Williams
Mark Blagrove
author2 Jess Williams
Mark Blagrove
format Journal article
container_title Journal of Research in Personality
container_volume 113
container_start_page 104539
publishDate 2024
institution Swansea University
issn 0092-6566
1095-7251
doi_str_mv 10.1016/j.jrp.2024.104539
publisher Elsevier BV
college_str Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences
hierarchytype
hierarchy_top_id facultyofmedicinehealthandlifesciences
hierarchy_top_title Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences
hierarchy_parent_id facultyofmedicinehealthandlifesciences
hierarchy_parent_title Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences
department_str School of Psychology{{{_:::_}}}Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences{{{_:::_}}}School of Psychology
document_store_str 1
active_str 0
description This study investigated whether sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) is associated with a perceptual advantage, rather than just heightened brain, emotional and behavioural reactivity. Participants (N = 222) were tested on detection and identification of visually degraded words at three levels of difficulty, and completed the Highly Sensitive Person Scale (HSPS) and the Big Five Inventory. The positive subscale of the HSPS predicted both the detection and identification of visually degraded stimuli, and beyond the Big Five traits. This contradicts claims that SPS is solely a combination of Big Five traits. Importantly, the perceptual advantage for highly sensitives may balance the disadvantages of being easily overwhelmed by stimuli and indicates separate evolutionary advantages and strategies for high and low SPS humans and other mammals.
published_date 2024-12-01T05:23:22Z
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score 11.444327

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