TherapyTips
scale image for personality tests

Highly Sensitive Person Questionnaire

Do you think you might be a highly sensitive person? Take this psychological assessment to find out.

Mark Travers, Ph.D.

By Mark Travers, Ph.D.

July 26, 2023

Mark Travers, Ph.D., is the lead psychologist at Awake Therapy, responsible for new client intake and placement. Mark received his B.A. in psychology, magna cum laude, from Cornell University and his M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Colorado Boulder. His academic research has been published in leading psychology journals and has been featured in The New York Times and The New Yorker, among other popular publications. He is a regular contributor for Forbes and Psychology Today, where he writes about psycho-educational topics such as happiness, relationships, personality, and life meaning. Click here to schedule an initial consultation with Mark or another member of the Awake Therapy team. Or, you can drop him a note here.

Send Message
Schedule Now

The Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) scale is a psychological tool that has gained significant attention in recent years due to its exploration of an individual's sensitivity to external stimuli and emotional experiences.

Dr. Elaine N. Aron, a renowned psychologist, first introduced the concept of the highly sensitive person in the early 1990s, shedding light on a unique trait that affects approximately 15-20% of the population.

The HSP scale emerged as a quantifiable measure to assess and understand the level of sensitivity individuals possess, providing valuable insights into how they process and respond to environmental and emotional stimuli.

Over the years, the HSP scale has been used in various studies to explore the diverse aspects of high sensitivity, such as its connection to empathy, emotional regulation, and stress response. It has proven to be a valuable tool in different fields, including psychology, education, and even workplace dynamics.

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.

Step 1: Rate the following statements based on how much you agree with them on a scale of strongly disagree to strongly agree.

1. I am easily overwhelmed by strong sensory input.

2. I am aware of subtleties in my environment.

3. Other people's moods affect me.

4. I tend to be more sensitive to pain.

5. I need to withdraw during busy days into bed or into a darkened room or any place where I can have some privacy and relief from stimulation.

6. I am particularly sensitive to the effects of caffeine.

7. I am easily overwhelmed by things like bright lights, strong smells, coarse fabrics, or sirens close by.

8. I have a rich, complex inner life.

9. Loud noises make me uncomfortable.

10. I am deeply moved by the arts or music.

11. My nervous system sometimes feels so frazzled that I just have to get off by myself.

12. I am a conscientious person.

13. I startle easily.

14. I get rattled when I have a lot to do in a short amount of time.

15. When people are uncomfortable in a physical environment, I tend to know what needs to be done to make it more comfortable (like changing the lighting or the seating).

16. I get annoyed when people try to get me to do too many things at once.

17. I try hard to avoid making mistakes or forgetting things.

18. I make a point to avoid violent movies and TV shows.

19. I become unpleasantly aroused when a lot is going on around me.

20. Being very hungry creates a strong reaction in me, disrupting my concentration or mood.

21. Changes in my life shake me up.

22. I notice and enjoy delicate or fine scents, tastes, sounds, works of art.

23. I find it unpleasant to have a lot going on at once.

24. I make it a high priority to arrange my life to avoid upsetting or overwhelming situations.

25. I am bothered by intense stimuli, like loud noises or chaotic scenes.

26. When I must compete or be observed while performing a task, I become so nervous or shaky that I do much worse than I would otherwise.

27. When I was a child, my parents or teachers saw me as sensitive or shy.

0 of 0 questions answered

Step 2: Enter your age, gender, region, and first name so we can provide you with a detailed report that compares your test scores with people similar to you.

What is your age?

What is your gender?

What region of the world do you live in?

What is your first name?

Step 3: Check to make sure you've provided answers to all of the statements/questions above. Once you've done that, click the button below to send your responses to Awake Therapy's Lead Psychologist, Mark Travers, Ph.D. He will provide you with an overview of how you scored relative to others (all answers are anonymized and confidential to protect users' privacy). He can also answer any follow-up questions you may have.