A Psychometric Evaluation of the Highly Sensitive Person Scale: The Components of Sensory-processing Sensitivity and Their Relation to the BIS/BAS and "Big Five".

Aron and Aron (1997) developed the Highly Sensitive Person Scale (HSPS) to measure individual differences in sensory-processing sensitivity (SPS). The purpose of the present study was to examine further the psychometric properties of the HSPS, as well as its association with a number of relevant constructs: the behavioural inhibition system (BIS) and behavioural activation system (BAS) (Carver & White, 1994); and the "Big Five" personality constructs (Neuroticism, Extroversion, Openness, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness) (Costa & McCrae, 1992). Results of the present research demonstrate that the HSPS is a valid and reliable measure of the construct of SPS. However, in contrast to Aron and Aron's finding that the scale is unidimensional, the current results support a three-component structure. The three components identified were labeled Aesthetic Sensitivity (AES), Low Sensory Threshold (LST), and Ease of Excitation (EOE) and accounted for 40.7% of the variance. The results indicate high BIS activity in respondents that score high on both the LST and the EOE, but not those who score high on the AES dimension. In addition, each component was found to have a different pattern of association with the "Big Five". More specifically, AES showed the strongest relation with Openness to Experience, while LST and EOE were found to be most closely associated with Neuroticism.