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Environmental sensitivity in children: development of the highly sensitive child scale and identification of sensitivity groups
journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-09, 07:44 authored by Michael Pluess, Elham Assary, Francesca Lionetti, Kathryn LesterKathryn Lester, Eva Krapohl, Elaine N Aron, Arthur AronA large number of studies document that children differ in the degree they are shaped by their developmental context with some being more sensitive to environmental influences than others. Multiple theories suggest that Environmental Sensitivity is a common trait predicting the response to negative as well as positive exposures. However, most research to date relied on more or less proximal markers of Environmental Sensitivity. In this paper we introduce a new questionnaire—the Highly Sensitive Child (HSC) scale—as a promising self-report measure of Environmental Sensitivity. After describing the development of the short 12-item HSC scale for children and adolescents, we report on the psychometric properties of the scale, including confirmatory factor analysis and test-retest reliability. After considering bivariate and multivariate associations with well-established temperament and personality traits, we apply Latent Class Analysis to test for the existence of hypothesised sensitivity groups. Analyses are conducted across five studies featuring four different UK-based samples ranging in age from 8-19 years and with a total sample size of N = 3,581. Results suggest the 12-item HSC scale is a psychometrically robust measure that performs well in both children and adolescents. Besides being relatively independent from other common traits, the Latent Class Analysis suggests that there are three distinct groups with different levels of Environmental Sensitivity—low (approx. 25-35%), medium (approx. 41-47%), and high (20-35%). Finally, we provide exploratory cut-off scores for the categorisation of children into these different groups which may be useful for both researchers and practitioners.
History
Publication status
- Published
File Version
- Accepted version
Journal
Developmental PsychologyISSN
0012-1649Publisher
American Psychological AssociationExternal DOI
Issue
1Volume
54Page range
51-70Department affiliated with
- Psychology Publications
Full text available
- Yes
Peer reviewed?
- Yes
Legacy Posted Date
2017-08-31First Open Access (FOA) Date
2017-10-16First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date
2017-08-31Usage metrics
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