Sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) is a personality trait characterized by an increased sensitivity to subtle stimuli and deeper cognitive processing.
This often leads to overstimulation and emotional reactivity, particularly in individuals considered highly sensitive persons (HSPs).
HSPs tend to be more aware of subtleties in their surroundings, process information more deeply, and experience a greater intensity of emotions.
This heightened emotional reactivity can manifest in both positive and negative ways, influencing their experiences and interactions with the world around them.

P., B. A., Damatac, C. G., Stevelmans, I., & Greven, C. U. (2025). Relationships of sensory processing sensitivity with creativity and empathy in an adult sample. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1465407. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1465407
Key Points
- Sensory Processing Sensitivity (SPS) and its Aesthetic Sensitivity (AES) component are associated with everyday creativity and empathy in adults.
- Higher SPS and AES scores were associated with more creative ideas, but only AES was associated with more creative activities.
- The associations between SPS, AES, and creativity were partially or fully explained by openness to experience.
- SPS and AES were associated with more empathy, including affective and cognitive empathy, and less emotional disconnection.
- The associations between SPS and empathy remained significant after controlling for openness to experience.
- The study suggests that SPS and AES are related to positive traits like creativity and empathy, which could be important for supporting the well-being of highly sensitive people.
Rationale
Sensory Processing Sensitivity (SPS) is a personality trait characterized by an increased sensitivity to environmental stimuli.
Research has traditionally focused on the negative correlates of SPS, such as anxiety, depression, and vulnerability.
However, recent studies have begun to investigate potential positive correlates of SPS, such as creativity and empathy.
SPS is typically assessed with the Highly Sensitive Person Scale (HSP Scale), which includes a total score and three subscales: Ease of Excitation (EOE), Low Sensory Threshold (LST), and Aesthetic Sensitivity (AES).
The AES subscale reflects the enjoyment of art, awareness of subtleties, and deeper stimulus processing. It has been associated with positive outcomes such as entrepreneurial intention, imagination, and enhanced intervention response.
Previous research has suggested a possible link between SPS, particularly the AES subscale, and creativity.
This study aimed to investigate this relationship further, examining whether SPS and AES are associated with different facets of creativity, namely creative ideas and creative activities.
Additionally, the study aimed to explore the relationship between SPS, AES, and empathy, including its components of affective empathy, cognitive empathy, and emotional disconnection.
What do we know?
Previous research suggests a link between SPS, specifically the AES subscale, and creativity. Some studies have also shown a relationship between SPS and empathy.
What’s the next step?
This study aims to further investigate the relationships between SPS, AES, creativity, and empathy.
It will examine whether SPS and AES are associated with different facets of creativity (creative ideas and creative activities) and empathy (affective empathy, cognitive empathy, and emotional disconnection).
Method
Procedure
This cross-sectional study used an online questionnaire to collect data on SPS, creativity, empathy, and openness to experience.
Participants were also asked to provide demographic information, including gender, age, and education level.
Sample
The sample consisted of 296 adults aged 18-78 years (mean age = 44.3 years). The majority of participants were female (75.7%) and had a master’s degree from a university (34.5%).
Measures
- Sensory Processing Sensitivity (SPS): Measured using the 12-item Highly Sensitive Person Scale (12-HSP scale). The scale includes subscales for AES, LST, and EOE.
- Openness to Experience: Measured using items from the Dutch Big Five Inventory (BFI).
- Everyday Creativity: Measured using two questionnaires:
- Runco Ideation Behavior Scale (RIBS) – measures creative ideas and problem-solving.
- Biographical Inventory of Creative Behaviors (BICB) – measures creative activities.
- Empathy: Measured using the Dutch Basic Empathy Scale, which includes subscales for affective empathy, cognitive empathy, and emotional disconnection.
Statistical Measures
Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were used to examine the associations between SPS, AES, creativity, and empathy, controlling for openness to experience and demographic variables.
Results
- Higher SPS total score was associated with more creative ideas but not with more creative activities.
- Higher AES score was associated with both more creative ideas and more creative activities.
- When controlling for openness to experience, the associations between SPS, AES, and creative ideas were reduced but remained significant.
- The association between AES and creative activities became non-significant after controlling for openness to experience.
- Higher SPS total score was associated with more empathy, including affective and cognitive empathy, and less emotional disconnection.
- These associations remained significant after controlling for openness to experience.
- Higher AES score was also associated with more empathy, affective and cognitive empathy, and less emotional disconnection.
Insight
The study confirms previous research suggesting a link between SPS, specifically the AES component, and creativity.
It extends this research by showing that this relationship exists even for everyday creativity, not just expert creativity.
The study also provides new evidence for the relationship between SPS, AES, and empathy, showing that SPS is associated with both affective and cognitive empathy, as well as less emotional disconnection.
This suggests that highly sensitive people may be more attuned to the emotions of others and less likely to use emotional disconnection as a defense mechanism.
The findings highlight the importance of considering both the positive and negative aspects of SPS.
While high sensitivity may come with challenges such as overstimulation and vulnerability, it may also be associated with strengths such as creativity and empathy.
Future research could explore these relationships further, examining the potential interplay between the positive and negative aspects of SPS in different contexts.
Implications
Clinical Practice:
- The findings suggest that clinicians working with highly sensitive individuals should consider their potential strengths in creativity and empathy.
- Interventions could focus on fostering these strengths to support well-being and resilience.
- It is also important to recognize the potential for emotional exhaustion in highly sensitive individuals, given their reduced emotional disconnection.
Future Research:
- Future research could investigate the causal relationships between SPS, creativity, and empathy.
- It would also be helpful to explore the impact of interventions aimed at developing creativity and empathy in highly sensitive individuals.
- Further research could examine the interplay between the positive and negative aspects of SPS in different contexts, such as work, school, and relationships.
Strengths
This study had several methodological strengths, including:
- The study included a large sample of adults with a wide age range.
- It used validated measures to assess SPS, creativity, empathy, and openness to experience.
- The study controlled for the potential confounding effects of openness to experience and demographic variables.
- It examined both creative ideas and creative activities, providing a more comprehensive understanding of the relationship between SPS and creativity.
Limitations
This study also had several limitations, including:
- The sample was not representative of the general population, as it consisted mainly of women and highly educated individuals.
- The cross-sectional design of the study limits the ability to draw conclusions about causality.
- The study relied on self-reported data, which may be subject to bias.
References
Primary reference
P., B. A., Damatac, C. G., Stevelmans, I., & Greven, C. U. (2025). Relationships of sensory processing sensitivity with creativity and empathy in an adult sample. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1465407. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1465407
Other references
Aron, E. N., & Aron, A. (1997). Sensory-processing sensitivity and its relation to introversion and emotionality.Journal of personality and social psychology,73(2), 345.
Bridges, D., & Schendan, H. E. (2019b). The sensitive, open creator. Personality and Individual Differences, 142, 179–185.
Greven, C. U., Lionetti, F., Booth, C., Aron, E. N., Fox, E., Schendan, H. E., Pluess, M., Bruining, H., Acevedo, B., Bijttebier, P., & Homberg, J. (2019). Sensory Processing Sensitivity in the context of Environmental Sensitivity: A critical review and development of research agenda. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 98, 287-305. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.01.009
McQuarrie, A. M., Smith, S. D., & Jakobson, L. S. (2023). Alexithymia and sensory processing sensitivity account for unique variance in the prediction of emotional contagion and empathy. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1072783. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1072783
Roxburgh, E. C. (2023). “It’s like feeling and experiencing everything in HD”: An interpretative phenomenological analysis of sensory processing sensitivity.The Humanistic Psychologist, 51(4), 377–396.https://doi.org/10.1037/hum0000297
Tabak, B. A., Gupta, D., Sunahara, C. S., Alvi, T., Wallmark, Z., Lee, J., Fulford, D., Hudson, N. W., & Chmielewski, M. (2022). Environmental sensitivity predicts interpersonal sensitivity above and beyond Big Five personality traits. Journal of Research in Personality, 98, 104210. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrp.2022.104210
Keep Learning
- How might the findings of this study be applied in educational settings to support highly sensitive children?
- What are some ethical considerations when conducting research on highly sensitive individuals?
- How might the concept of “sensory processing sensitivity” inform our understanding of diversity and inclusion?
- What are some potential cultural factors that might influence the expression and experience of sensory processing sensitivity?
- How might future research further explore the neural mechanisms underlying the relationship between sensory processing sensitivity, creativity, and empathy?
