Cited by 645Personality Traits and PsychologyNeurotransmitter Receptor Influence on BehaviorEvolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior

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Sensory Processing Sensitivity: A Review in the Light of the Evolution of Biological Responsivity

Aron, Elaine N., Aron, Arthur, Jagiellowicz, Jadzia·2012·Personality and Social Psychology Review

DOI 10.1177/1088868311434213

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Abstract

This article reviews the literature on sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) in light of growing evidence from evolutionary biology that many personality differences in nonhuman species involve being more or less responsive, reactive, flexible, or sensitive to the environment. After briefly defining SPS, it first discusses how biologists studying animal personality have conceptualized this general environmental sensitivity. Second, it reviews relevant previous human personality/temperament work, focusing on crossover interactions (where a trait generates positive or negative outcomes depending on the environment), and traits relevant to specific hypothesized aspects of SPS: inhibition of behavior, sensitivity to stimuli, depth of processing, and emotional/physiological reactivity. Third, it reviews support for the overall SPS model, focusing on development of the Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) Scale as a measure of SPS then on neuroimaging and genetic studies using the scale, all of which bears on the extent to which SPS in humans corresponds to biological responsivity.

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Background
Current Trends, Challenges, and Future Perspectives in Research on Individual Differences:
Kawamoto, T. (2023) · The Annual Report of Educational Psychology in Japan · doi:10.5926/arepj.62.63 · Cited by 1
Análisis de afrontamiento, sensibilidad de procesamiento sensorial (SPS) y resiliencia en alumnado universitario, en el segundo año de la Covid-19
Mora-Grimón, A. I., Gallego, C. M.-P., Cruz-Santana, V., & García, P. J. C. (2024) · Revista Iberoamericana de Psicología · doi:10.33881/2027-1786.rip.16206 · Cited by 1
Polska adaptacja narzędzia Highly Sensitive Person Scale
Bobrowska, M., & Liberska, H. (2023) · Przegląd Psychologiczny · doi:10.31648/przegldpsychologiczny.9249 · Cited by 1
Polish adaptation of the Highly Sensitive Person Scale
Bobrowska, M., & Liberska, H. (2023) · Przegląd Psychologiczny · doi:10.31648/przegldpsychologiczny.10129 · Cited by 1
Somatic symptoms and environmental sensitivity in preadolescents and adolescents: the mediating role of alexithymia - insights for wellbeing promotion
Renzi, A., Guglielmi, D., Nimbi, F. M., & Galli, F. (2025) · Current Psychology · doi:10.1007/s12144-025-08019-z · Cited by 1
“A consistent psychological marker that captures sensitivity to both negative and positive stimuli in children and adults is the temperamental trait of Sensory Processing Sensitiv - ity (SPS) (Aron et al., 2012 ; Sperati et al., 2024).”
Influential
A sensory investment syndrome hypothesis: personality and predictability are linked to sensory capacity in the hermit crab Pagurus bernhardus
Drummond, A., Nash, S., Holloway, T., Turner, L. M., Wilson, A. D. M., & Briffa, M. (2025) · Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences · doi:10.1098/rspb.2025.0932 · Cited by 1
Első eredmények a Szuperérzékenység Skála magyar verziójának faktorszerkezetével és validálásával kapcsolatban
Reddington, K., Nagy, O. N., Baier, A., & Köteles, F. G. (2025) · Mentálhigiéné és Pszichoszomatika · doi:10.1556/0406.2025.00089 · Cited by 1
The Integral Being: A Qualitative Investigation of Highly Sensitive Persons and Temperament-Appropriate Careers
Cooper, T. (2016) · Cited by 1
The Interaction between Sensory Processing Sensitivity and Childhood Environment on Social Anxiety
Jaswetz, L. (2016) · Repository hosted by TU Delft Library (TU Delft) · Cited by 1
Diagnóstico y tratamiento de los trastornos del espectro autista: eye-traking e integración sensorial
Hernández, L. M., León, F. G., Castillo-Parra, G., & Córdova, A. E. (2016) · Edupsykhé Revista de Psicología y Educación · doi:10.57087/edupsykhe.v15i1.3905 · Cited by 3
Etiology
Paris, J. (2017) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-811421-6.00002-8 · Cited by 1
Brain Stimulation and Behavioral Change
Lucchiari, C., Kelley, N., Vanutelli, M., & Ferrucci, R. (2019) · Frontiers research topics · doi:10.3389/978-2-88945-838-7 · Cited by 1
Towards a Husserlian Integrative Account of Experiential and Narrative Dimensions of the Self
Vesterager, M. (2019) · Journal of Phenomenological Psychology · doi:10.1163/15691624-12341361 · Cited by 1
The Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) and Online Shopping Behavior: The Impact of Visual Stimuli on Attitude Towards the Ad and Purchase Intention
Amaro, A. C., Martinez, L. M., & Martins, A. Q. (2022) · Springer proceedings in business and economics · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-05728-1_26 · Cited by 1
Effects of prenatal THC exposure on the mesolimbic dopamine system: Unveiling an endophenotype of sensory information processing deficits
Frau, R., & Melis, M. (2022) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-823490-7.00012-5 · Cited by 1
High Sensitivity among musicians : A comparative study between musicians and non-musicians
Lindholm, M. (2015) · Diva portal (Dalarna University Library) · Cited by 1
Sensory Processing Sensitivity and Gastrointestinal Symptoms in Japanese AdultPreprint
Iimura, S., & Takasugi, S. (2022) · doi:10.31234/osf.io/n2c39 · Cited by 1
Lower childhood subjective social status is associated with greater neural responses to ambient auditory deviancePreprint
Hao, Y., & Hu, L. (2022) · bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · doi:10.1101/2022.12.22.521644 · Cited by 1
“While this may seem advantageous, it can also be costly as it reflects a more reactive coping style (Aron et al., 2012, pp.264).”
Background
Sensory processing sensitivity is associated with neural synchrony and functional connectivity during threatening moviesPreprint
Damatac, C. G., Homberg, J. R., Galesloot, T. E., Geerligs, L., & Greven, C. U. (2024) · bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · doi:10.1101/2024.03.27.586963 · Cited by 1
The effect of sensory-processing sensitivity on social preference for online interaction and associated outcome on psychological wellbeing
Valojää, A. (2015) · Jyväskylä University Digital Archive (University of Jyväskylä) · Cited by 1
The cognitive antecedents of psychosis-like (anomalous) experiences: variance within a stratified quota sample of the general population
Bradbury, D. A. (2026) · e-space (Manchester Metropolitan University) · doi:10.83056/mmu.32434503 · Cited by 1
En kvantitativ studie av personlighetsdraget högkänslighet och dess relation till interpersonell anknytning.
Karlström, R., & Nelson, G. (2015) · Lund University Publications Student Papers (Lund University)
Associations between responsive and permissive parenting behavior and empathic behavior in children: The moderating role of sensory processing sensitivity.
van Buul, E. (2013) · Utrecht University Repository (Utrecht University)
Den högkänsliga personens hälsa och koppling till naturen
Lutvica, N. (2015)
Livskvalitet hos högkänsliga personer : en studie om högkänslighet, självmedkänsla och personlighet
Brongers, R. (2015)
To Love a Highly Sensitive Person: A Theoretical Study on Romantic Relationships and Sensitivity
Sherman, R. (2017) · doi:10.15760/honors.391
Serotonin, Stress, and the Emergence of Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) TraitsPreprint
Suuberg, A. (2017) · SSRN Electronic Journal · doi:10.2139/ssrn.2978854 · Cited by 1
Approaching Stressful Situations with Purpose: Strategies for Emotional Regulation in Sensitive People
Nagley, A. D. (2017) · ProQuest Demo Repository
The Impact of Sensory Processing Sensitivity (SPS) on Tertiary Learning and Teaching
Cater, K. (2017) · International Journal of Technology and Inclusive Education · doi:10.20533/ijtie.2047.0533.2017.0128
“HSPs are also more aware of subtleties in the external and internal environment and tend to process things deeply [3]; [4]; [12].”
BackgroundInfluential
The Effect of Mather's Child Rearing Behavior on Aggression of Young Children: Mediating Effect of Self-Control
Kang, S.-M., & Paik, J. (2019) · Journal of Convergence Information Technology · doi:10.22156/cs4smb.2019.9.10.122
Musicians' sensory patterns in relation to their primary musical instrument
Hellberg, E. P. (2018)
Trait characteristics of centrally sensitised people with nonspecific chronic low back pain: relationships between sensory profiles, trait anxiety‐related personality types, the extent of central sensitisation symptoms and pre‐morbid lived experiences
Clark, J. R. (2026) · e-space (Manchester Metropolitan University) · doi:10.83056/mmu.32479830

Authors: Aron, E. N., Aron, A., & Jagiellowicz, J.
Affiliations: Stony Brook University (US)
ORCID: Aron, Arthur
Jagiellowicz, Jadzia
Venue: Personality and Social Psychology Review
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Published: 2012-01-30
Volume: 16
Issue: 3
Pages: 262-282
ISSN: 1088-8683 (ISSN-L)
1532-7957
DOI: 10.1177/1088868311434213
OpenAlex: W1976465304
Cited by: 645
References: 158
Citations by year: 2026: 88 · 2025: 100 · 2024: 80 · 2023: 58 · 2022: 61 · 2021: 55 · 2020: 35 · 2019: 36 · 2018: 30 · 2017: 32 · 2016: 19 · 2015: 25 · 2014: 12 · 2013: 9 · 2012: 5
FWCI: 18.47
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: closed
Licence: journals.sagepub.com/page/policies/text-and-data-mining-license (tdm)
Locations: Personality and Social Psychology Review (publishedVersion)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics: Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Personality Traits and Psychology
Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior
Keywords: sensory processing sensitivity, animal personality, environmental sensitivity, behavioral inhibition, stimulus sensitivity, levels of processing, emotional reactivity, physiological reactivity, Highly Sensitive Person Scale, temperament, genetic research, neuroimaging
MeSH terms: Animals, Emotions, Biological Evolution, Humans, Inhibition, Psychological, Nervous System Physiological Phenomena, Physical Stimulation, Sensation

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Sensory Processing Sensitivity: A Review in the Light of the Evolution of Biological Responsivity

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