The DOI matches its Crossref record; 161 of the 161 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Sensory Processing Sensitivity: A Review in the Light of the Evolution of Biological Responsivity
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.
Overview
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Verification
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
In the citing paper
“On the other hand, in supportive environments, such social sensitivity may culminate in an adaptive and “more responsive strategy [that] is partly characterized by being more prone to ‘pause to check’ in a novel situation, being more sensitive to subtle stimuli, and employing deeper or more complex processing strategies for planning effective action and later revising cognitive maps, all of which”
From Adolescent neurobiological susceptibility to social context (2016) · cites this paper as Aron et al., 2012
Citations
Cites
A Handbook of Child Psychology
(1932) · Nature · doi:10.1038/130331a0 · Cited by 10,133
Levels of processing: A framework for memory research
Craik, F. I. M., & Lockhart, R. S. (1972) · Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior · doi:10.1016/s0022-5371(72)80001-x · Cited by 9,566
Carver, C. S., & White, T. L. (1994) · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology · doi:10.1037/0022-3514.67.2.319 · Cited by 7,306
An Introduction to the Five‐Factor Model and Its Applications
McCrae, R. R., & John, O. P. (1992) · Journal of Personality · doi:10.1111/j.1467-6494.1992.tb00970.x · Cited by 6,835
How do you feel — now? The anterior insula and human awareness
(Bud) Craig, A. D. (2009) · Nature Reviews Neuroscience · doi:10.1038/nrn2555 · Cited by 6,657 · cited 1×
“…in sommeliers, music, perceptual decision making, and so much more) but also integrating these with moment to moment emotional states to create subjective feelings in such a way that Craig (2009) has argued persuasively that the insula is " a potential neural correlate of consciousness " (p. 59).”
An alternative "description of personality": The Big-Five factor structure.
Goldberg, L. R. (1990) · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology · doi:10.1037//0022-3514.59.6.1216 · Cited by 6,652
Beyond diathesis stress: differential susceptibility to environmental influences
Belsky, J., & Pluess, M. (2009) · Psychological Bulletin · doi:10.1037/a0017376 · Cited by 3,039
Coping styles in animals: current status in behavior and stress-physiology
Koolhaas, J. M., Korte, S. M., De Boer, S. F., Van Der Vegt, B. J., Van Reenen, C. G., Hopster, H., De Jong, I. C., Ruis, M. A. W., & Blokhuis, H. J. (1999) · Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews · doi:10.1016/s0149-7634(99)00026-3 · Cited by 2,875
Belsky, J., Steinberg, L. D., & Draper, P. (1991) · Child Development · doi:10.1111/j.1467-8624.1991.tb01558.x · Cited by 2,601
The nature and function of self-esteem: Sociometer theory
Leary, M. R., & Baumeister, R. F. (2000) · Advances in Experimental Social Psychology · doi:10.1016/s0065-2601(00)80003-9 · Cited by 2,521
Research works printed but not linked: 12
- Acevedo B., 2010, Presented at American Psychological Association
- Aron A., 2010, Presented at American Psychological Association
- Dingemanse J. N., 2009, Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 21, 1
- 10.1037/0022-3514.59.6.1216 · DOI · Paper page
- Gray J. A., 1985, Anxiety and disorder, 5
- Jung C., 1961, The collected works of C. G. Jung: Freud and psychoanalysis, 4
- Jung C., 1961, The collected works of C. G. Jung: Psychological types, 6
- Kalsched D., 1996, The inner world of trauma
- Kjellgren A., 2009, Individual Differences Research, 7, 212
- Kristal J., 2005, The temperament perspective
- Mehrabian A., 1976, Manual for the Questionnaire Measure of Stimulus Screening and Arousability
- Taylor E. S., 2006, Biological Reviews, 60, 671
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Items 601–644 of 644
Galli, E., Dellagiulia, A., Sperati, A., Fasolo, M., Spinelli, M., Setti, A., & Lionetti, F. (2026) · European Journal of Developmental Psychology · doi:10.1080/17405629.2026.2659024
“They tend to reflect deeply on what they perceive, showing high levels of empathy and awareness of others emotional states , greater emotional attunement (Aron & Aron, 1997; Aron et al., 2012; Sperati et al., 2024).”
InfluentialLi, Z., Huang, S., & Ding, X. (2026) · Acta Psychologica · doi:10.1016/j.actpsy.2026.106861
Lu, Y., Liu, Q., & Wang, Z. (2026) · Child Psychiatry & Human Development · doi:10.1007/s10578-026-02015-5
Demirci, B., Bıkmazer, A., & Görmez, V. (2026) · Psychiatric Quarterly · doi:10.1007/s11126-026-10285-4
Chen, B.-X., Yan, Y., Tang, S.-Y., Suo, X.-Y., Li, Y.-Z., & Hu, H. (2026) · Acta Psychologica · doi:10.1016/j.actpsy.2026.107020 · Cited by 1
Chhangur, R. R., Pupillo, F., & Belsky, J. (2026) · Child Development · doi:10.1093/chidev/aacag095
Wu, W., Zhu, Y., Huang, S., & Wang, Y. (2026) · Infant and Child Development · doi:10.1002/icd.70108
Lan, Z., Lv, M., Wang, Y., & Liu, Z. H. (2026) · Intelligence · doi:10.1016/j.intell.2026.102027
Introducing the ASMR-sens: a reliable and valid questionnaire specifically assessing ASMR sensation
Lohaus, T., Kaur, N., & Thoma, P. (2026) · Current Psychology · doi:10.1007/s12144-026-09547-y
“…from high sensory processing sensitivity, which refers to the particularly deep cognitive processing of stimuli and a higher emotional reactivity (Aron et al., 2012), it can be noted that this concept represents more of an overarching personality trait that applies to a range of stimuli beyond…”
Durán-Arroyo, G., Gordillo, I. C., Bormann, D. A.-V., & Pichilingue-Chalco, E. J. (2026) · Research Square · doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-9527195/v1
The Pilot Creation and Initial Psychometric Evaluation of the Military Sensory Questionnaire
Haugen, T. A., Cooper, C. R., DaLomba, E. J., & Butler, A. L. (2026) · Occupational Therapy in Mental Health · doi:10.1080/0164212x.2026.2681067
Spiritualité implicite et satisfaction de vie chez les adultes hypersensibles
Roussiau, N., Beauchene, M., Arsandaux, J., & Renard, E. (2026) · Psychologie Française · doi:10.1016/j.psfr.2026.05.001
Extreme sensory processing in high intellectual potential individuals : a systematic review
Pouilloux, G., Sido, H., Polin, C., & Paquet, A. (2026) · BMC Psychology · doi:10.1186/s40359-026-04958-9
Environmental and Epidemic Sensitivity in the Context of Preserving Personal Health during Wartime
Креденцер, О., Tytarenko, T., Дворник, М. С., Ларіна, Т. О., Savinov, V., Savchenko, A., & Paskevska, I. (2026) · SOCIAL WELFARE INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACH · doi:10.15388/sw.2026.16.4
Ratnesh, M., Vardhan, J., Mishra, Y., & Choudhary, N. (2026) · SSRN Electronic Journal · doi:10.2139/ssrn.6985153
Altered theta-band sensory gating in individuals with high sensory processing sensitivity (SPS)
Lin, B.-L., Chiu, C., Huang, C., Lu, H., & Cheng, C. (2026) · Brain Research · doi:10.1016/j.brainres.2026.150443
Li, A., Nie, Y., & Liu, C. (2026) · Psychological Reports · doi:10.1177/00332941261465079
Parental sensory processing patterns and parenting: a systematic review
McClenaghan, M., Branjerdporn, G., Scott, C., Gillespie, K. M., & Meredith, P. J. (2026) · Frontiers in Developmental Psychology · doi:10.3389/fdpys.2026.1842441 · Cited by 1
Halby, R. C., & Cook, C. N. (2026) · Integrative and Comparative Biology · doi:10.1093/icb/icag104
Lin, S., Fu, R., Zhong, Q., Jiang, Y., Jiang, S., & Tao, Y. (2026) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1840516
“…stimuli more deeply; they are more susceptible to the adverse effects of negative environments and more likely to benefit from positive environments (Belsky and Pluess, 2009; Lionetti and Pluess, 2024), which is primarily manifested in emotional states and physiological responses (Aron et al., 2012).”
Rørvang, M. V., Meagher, R. K., Stenfelt, J., Miller-Cushon, E. K., Ahmmad, S. R., & Ceballos, M. C. (2026) · Applied Animal Behaviour Science · doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2026.107117
Malin, Y., Goueta, N., & Scharf, M. (2026) · Current Psychology · doi:10.1007/s12144-026-09786-z
“This coexistence of vulnerability and social engagement echoes theoretical claims that heightened sensitivity may amplify both emotional burden and interpersonal responsiveness (Aron et al., 2012; Pluess, 2015).”
Hanson, B., Burke, S. M., Tucker, P., & Irwin, J. D. (2026) · Journal of American College Health · doi:10.1080/07448481.2026.2706721
Sanli, A. M., Ertekin, Z., Dogru, Y. Y., & Berument, S. K. (2026) · Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research · doi:10.1044/2026_jslhr-24-00582
An Adaptive Agent Based Model for Learning Regulation of a Highly Sensitive Person's Response
Tran, L., Jan Treur, A., & Tuinhof, D. J. (2026) · Studies in systems, decision and control · doi:10.1007/978-3-032-16544-2_8
Ullah, N. (2026) · Studies in systems, decision and control · doi:10.1007/978-3-032-16544-2_1
Xiao, L., Deroost, N., Ma, N., & Baetens, K. (2026) · Psychological Research · doi:10.1007/s00426-026-02364-9
“Subtle expressions, emerging in the early stage of emotional unfolding, pose greater by heightened awareness of environmental subtleties, deeper cognitive processing, stronger emotional reactivity and empathy, and susceptibility to overstimulation (Aron et al., 2012; Greven et al., 2019).”
InfluentialAssociations of sensory processing sensitivity with cannabis motives and consumption in young adults
Rioux, C., Childers-Rockey, Z. A., Hill, A., Freeman, C. L., Chiramel, J., Jamison, W. J., Séguin, J. R., Webb, J. R., Parent, S., & Ryan, N. C. (2026) · Addictive Behaviors · doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2026.108833
Becoming a Sensitive Scholar: Navigating the Academic Assemblages in East Asia
Liong, M. (2026) · Emerald Group Publishing Limited eBooks · doi:10.1108/978-1-83662-556-820261007
Peng, M., Zhao, W., Chen, H., & Mo, L. (2026) · Archives of Psychiatric Nursing · doi:10.1016/j.apnu.2026.152223
Resting-state functional connectivity related to empathy and sensory processing sensitivity
McQuarrie, A. M., Jakobson, L. S., & Smith, S. D. (2026) · Frontiers in Human Neuroscience · doi:10.3389/fnhum.2026.1940950
Shata, Z. N., Badr, E. T., Omran, H. A., Alkasaby, M. A., Hamdaalah, A., Soliman, A., & Othman, S. S. (2026) · BMC Pediatrics · doi:10.1186/s12887-026-07415-z
Muris, P., Voermans, L., Paes, L., Langen, I., & Sollman, E. (2026) · Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry · doi:10.1177/13591045261487890
Ebeveyn Mizacı ve Öz Yeterliğin 1–3 Yaş Arası Çocukların Sosyal -Duygusal Gelişimlerine Etkisi
Karagül, H. H., & Sezgin, E. (2026) · Fırat Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi · doi:10.18069/firatsbed.1701798
Iimura, S., Yano, K., Kibe, C., Weyn, S., & Pluess, M. (2026) · Journal of Personality Assessment · doi:10.1080/00223891.2026.2730505
Cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between temperament and delusional ideation
Luo, J., Herms, E. N., & Wisner, K. (2026) · Schizophrenia Research · doi:10.1016/j.schres.2026.09.026
Psychologické koreláty tetanického syndrómu
Vavrová, M., Giertlová, M., & Rojková, Z. (2026) · doi:10.34135/2026ucm3
Cognitive Strategies, Sensitivity, Prejudice, and Elements of Inclusion among Social Workers
Nieli, M., Sammarro, M., & D’Urso, G. (2026) · Psychological Studies · doi:10.1007/s12646-026-00901-5
Lazdauskas, T., Nasvytienė, D., & Saikauskienė, A. (2026) · Child & Youth Care Forum · doi:10.1007/s10566-026-09982-9
罗, 钰. (2026) · Advances in Psychology · doi:10.12677/ap.2026.1610470
Tanrıvermiş, İ., Özcan, A. K., & Gülaçtı, H. G. B. (2026) · Klinik Psikoloji Dergisi · doi:10.57127/kpd.26024438.1886817
Törmänen, J., Mikkonen, K., Jarva, E., Canino, T., & Pramila‐Savukoski, S. (2026) · Current Psychology · doi:10.1007/s12144-026-10162-0 · Cited by 1
“SPS is a rich and multidimensional personality trait (Aron et al., 2012 ).”
InfluentialSensory processing sensitivity and Dark Tetrad traits: moderating effects of environmental factors
Rajić, I., & Dinić, B. M. (2026) · Current Psychology · doi:10.1007/s12144-026-10246-x
“Based on both theoretical frameworks (e.g., Aron et al., 2012; Paulhus, 2014 ) and limited empirical findings (Moroń et al., 2024), we expect a negative relationship between SPS traits and Current Psychology (2026) 45:1672 psychopathy, as psychopathy is the central dark trait with the core…”
Influential
Metadata
- Authors
- Aron, E. N., Aron, A., & Jagiellowicz, J.
- Affiliations
- Stony Brook University (US)
- 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
- 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
- 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
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
