Sensitivity in psychology is what, definition, examples

Sensitivity is a human characteristic that expresses increased, individual sensitivity to external events and is accompanied by anxiety before new incidents. Sensitivity is expressed in such individual traits as shyness, timidity, increased impressionability, low self-esteem, harsh self-criticism, a tendency to prolonged worries, and an inferiority complex.

With age, high sensitivity can decrease, since a person, in the process of self-education, can overcome anxiety about upcoming events.

The level of sensitivity is determined by the innate characteristics of a person (heredity, organic lesions of the brain) or the characteristics (conditions) of raising a child.

In psychology, the concept of sensitivity is used together with the synonyms “sensitivity” and “sensitivity”. Along with this, there is also the phenomenon of “insensitivity”; it is expressed in the lack of reaction to events, emotions and actions of people, and assessments. Insensitivity is manifested in complete indifference, lack of physical sensations, tactlessness and inattention to others.

The concept of sensitivity in psychology

In psychology, sensitivity is a wide range of mental processes associated with a person’s increased perception of events. Translated from Latin, “sensitivity” means a feeling or sensation, which in psychology has both negative and positive characteristics of attitude towards various situations.

The most striking examples of sensitivity:

• fear of the new;
• low pain barrier;
• self-criticism and increased self-reflection;
• shyness, fear of criticism and closedness;
• low self-esteem, feelings of unworthiness and excessive demands on oneself;
• impressionability and strong feelings about even minor events (positive and negative);
• ability to establish relationships with others;
• building in the past due to bad experiences.

Such a sensitive person can be either timid and insecure or a confident leader. It all depends on what kind of sensitivity we are talking about and how a person is aware of his strengths and weaknesses.

For example, the most striking advantages of controlled sensitivity are the following character traits:

• high moral standards and social responsibility of a person;
• kindness and kindness;
• empathy, that is, readiness to empathize;
• the ability to detect subtle aspects in interpersonal communication and non-verbal expression;
• ability to build teamwork and quickly resolve conflicts.

Thus, sensitivity can have positive sides - if you know how to show them. That is why there are trainings and exercises to increase sensitivity and empathy. But you also need to take into account that with age, sensitivity can either decrease or increase, so everything largely depends on a person’s self-awareness and self-control.

Why does sensitive character accentuation develop?

There are several reasons for the development. In the vast majority of cases, there is a social component. The biological factor is of secondary importance. As for the immediate triggers.

Dominant mother

One of the main reasons why a sensitive type of character is formed. A tyrant mother tries to control the actions of her child. It doesn't matter whether it's a daughter or a son. As a result, self-doubt and fear develop. A person tries to please his mother so as not to become a victim of violence - verbal, and often physical in the early years. Sensitivity and sensitivity become a defensive reaction, one of the options. The child has to feel the mother’s mood very subtly, since a tyrannical woman depends on her mood. All her actions are impulsive. Often, especially if the mother is narcissistic, epileptoid, sensitivity reaches borderline personality disorder. Before real psychopathology. In this case, specialized treatment is needed.

Imperative type of education in general

Not only a mother can be a tyrant. A father or stepfather has an equally negative, destructive influence. Provided that he shows open aggression - he hits the child, scolds him with or without reason. Hidden aggression is also dangerous. Like “you upset me, try to guess why.” Often a narcissistic mother resorts to this style of behavior. Such manipulations do not end well, especially for young people. In the future, it becomes difficult to overcome your negative attitudes, habits and character traits. And in some cases it is almost impossible if we are talking about full-fledged psychopathy. When working with a psychologist, it is possible to achieve results in 95% of cases.

Permissiveness

The next type of negative parenting model. In this case, the diametrically opposite happens. Parents do not pay attention to the child at all, they turn him into an adult. He is forced to solve his problems himself. In this case, options are possible. Or a person becomes like an independent adult and takes on a role beyond his strength. Or he tries to get into the good graces of his parents, feel their mood and adapt to the situation. Both cases lead to devastating consequences for the psyche and the development of negative behavior patterns in the future. The only way to avoid developing negative traits is to give your child enough attention.

Negative experiences in the past

Applies more to teenagers. Children aged 9 to 18 years show aggression much more often. Irreconcilable and intolerant. Therefore, sensitive people and those prone to hypersensitivity often have problems. This is especially true for the male part of the population, since it is in such groups that rank wars occur. The weak, or those who seem so, are sure to find themselves on the sidelines, under ridicule. And that's the best case scenario. Physical violence, including serious injury, often occurs.

A person is unable to cope with this, so he withdraws and becomes a closed sensitive person, who is very difficult to draw out of his shell. A negative environment causes even greater social rejection in a man with sensitive accentuation. Personality traits become more acute. Severe psychopathology at the level of borderline development, psychopathy, is possible.

Congenital hereditary characteristics. Genetics

Often the reason for the accentuation of character, and any one, is congenital conditioning. Although personality is not directly passed on from parents and grandparents to children, certain tendencies are still inherited. This must be kept in mind during self-assessment or diagnosis by a professional psychologist.

Psychopathological conditions

In some cases, sensitivity may be confused with mental illnesses. For example, increased sensitivity is possible in some psychopaths, patients with schizophrenia in the early stages of the disorder. Neurotics also often find themselves in the same boat as other sensitive people. This also needs to be taken into account. First, a series of tests are performed to rule out psychopathology. Only then can we talk about the variant of the norm and the origin of the condition.

Low self-esteem

In some cases, cause and effect are reversed. A sensitive personality type does not always cause insufficient self-esteem. It also happens the other way around. In such a situation, a person feels flawed, unworthy of the attention of others or any benefits. Accordingly, negative feelings intensify and a negative worldview develops. The patient is prone to hypersensitivity. Although this does not always happen. It is possible to disguise one’s own personality and its features with imaginary aggression, feigned masculinity, masculinity. A sensitive person is a person of contradiction. Often he becomes an actor in order not to be a victim, to fit into society at least partially.

The classic example of a sensitive person from psychological literature is a melancholic person by temperament. He is constantly depressed and dreams most of the time. Responsive and kind to the whole world. Moreover, in some cases he is prone to veneration and servility.

Reasons for appearance

Sensitivity is a common description in psychology of human qualities, the causes of which can be several.

The most common of them come from the family and the characteristics of upbringing:

• emotional dryness of parents, need for affection and care;
• violence in family;
• categoricalness and strict rules of education;
• excessive discipline.

Genetic predispositions also play an equally important role, such as:

• neuroses, depression;
• heredity;
• brain injury during the perinatal period or at birth;
• mental illness;
• anxiety disorders.

Also, the reason for increased sensitivity may be the social circle, especially during the critical period of growing up, when authority and imitation of it are an important part of behavior:

• inability to satisfy the desire to be approved (by parents, teacher);
• conflicts among children and rejection by the team.

All this develops an inferiority complex and a hypersensitive perception of reality, that is, sensitivity.

Childhood

Sensitive children are usually called “homey”, and all because they do not want to spend their free time with noisy and active peers. Moreover, they do not play outdoor games, during which you can get hurt or get tired.

They are obedient because they are very impressionable and vulnerable, which is why they have a hard time experiencing any criticism and disapproval from adults. Therefore, in order to avoid getting into such unpleasant situations, they adapt to any rules and requirements of those with whom they have to interact.

It is not difficult to understand that a child belongs to this character accentuation - he is afraid of everything in the world. Starting from darkness, loneliness and ending with the fear of various animals and insects. Some even develop cynophobia, that is, an irrational, uncontrollable fear of dogs.

They are timid and shy, usually hiding behind mom or dad when meeting other people. If they turn to them, they are silent and do not look them in the eyes.

This happens not because they are not interested in communicating, it’s just that at this moment it is so difficult for them to cope with their feelings that they are not able to squeeze out even a few words.

Free time is spent reading, modeling, and drawing. They love to tinker with babies, teach them something, change clothes, feed them, and so on.

At first glance, it seems that they are completely unsociable, but this is not so. People whom they are accustomed to and can trust have the opportunity to know the full depth of their inner world.

Sensitivity as a personality quality and a property of temperament. Signs and examples

In psychology, sensitivity is an important characteristic of a person’s perception of the world, as well as a set of stable human properties that influence the formation of temperament, speed of reactions and resistance to stress.

Therefore, the influence of mild stimuli and a person’s violent reaction to them are examples of high sensitivity. On the other hand, sensitivity is a vivid expression of a melancholic personality, vulnerable and worried for a long time, even over trifles and fictions. The most striking example of a sensitive person is Pierrot from the cartoon about Malvina: he suffers all the time and worries excessively.

Sensitivity in psychology

On the opposite hand, a person who has low sensitivity, that is, good resistance to stress and adequate reactions to events, has a good level of resistance - increased emotional stability. Such character traits are more characteristic of phlegmatic and sanguine people, that is, calm and balanced people. On the other hand, phlegmatic and sanguine people may seem stubborn, and it would be good for them to develop sensitivity.

Sensitivity is a description in personality psychology of two completely different categories of information perception, such as emotional sensitivity and sensory perception. These are concepts that largely influence the character and professional qualities of each person.

Sensitivity of the emotional sphere

One of the most striking signs of a person’s excessive sensitivity is increased sensitivity, emotional experiences, which can often be caused by minor events, fears or anxiety.

Sensitivity of the emotional sphere in the psychology of sensitivity is a type of stable excessive manifestation of reactions to various situations, which can have different forms, such as:

• mood swings;
• low self-esteem;
• amorousness;
• anxiety, phobias;
• long-term experience of one’s own failures;
• self-examination and excessive self-criticism;
• empathy and compassion for the problems of others.

Sensitive people are not only prone to melancholic periods and depressive states, they are also people with a high empathic component, sometimes very excessive. Psychologists believe that any unbalanced strong feelings, characteristic of sensitive people, do not pass without a trace and over time manifest themselves in the development of phobias, frustrations, nervousness, depression and emotional burnout.

Sensitivity of the touch sphere

If the sensitivity of the emotional sphere in sensitivity denotes the intensity of a person’s reaction to events, then the sensitivity of the sensory sphere is used to describe 5 ways of perceiving information and their intensity, namely: touch, smell, vision, hearing and taste.

Even without an active cognitive reaction, that is, a person’s exaggeration of events, the sensitivity of these 5 sensitive sensors can be considered as a separate type of sensitivity and described by the concept of “sensitivity threshold”.

For example, hypersensitivity, or low sensitivity, to sound is commonly seen in musicians and blind people, there is also increased sensitivity to smell due to allergies or pregnancy, sensitivity to light can be a feature of the eyeball, and artists have well-developed sensitivity to shade. colors and shape features.

Thus, sensory sensitivity is a great advantage for the development of professional skills or adaptation to external circumstances in comparison with emotional sensitivity, and it can also be developed.

Possibility of communication

If there is no mental trauma that aggravates the accentuation of character, then in communication a person of this type can be fully realized. Especially if it concerns personal or intimate relationships. If you are communicating with an overly sensitive person, then remember:

• he will not change even with great love.

His character traits are too strong;

• but he will remain faithful to you (whether your husband or girlfriend), even to the detriment of himself.

Therefore, when communicating with a sensitive type, try not to abuse his attitude. Such people have strong patience, but not endless: they leave once and for all;

• he can sacrifice his interests for the sake of others and simply for the sake of the common cause.

If you want to be closer to this person, then try not to abuse his sacrifice;

• it doesn't conflict.

From the word “absolutely”. People with this psychotype try their best to prevent any dispute. However, due to unexpressed emotions, psychosomatic diseases - asthma, diabetes, oncology - can develop over time. For this reason, when communicating with such a person, try not to leave anything unsaid, but resolve all issues directly and honestly;

• create comfort at home if your husband is a sensitive type.

A calm, cozy atmosphere helps restore the vitality of sensitive people, thanks to which they can work effectively, engage in creativity, and build relationships.

• In general, people with sensitive personality types can make excellent friends and life partners.

They have negative traits - constant anxiety, a tendency towards apathy and boredom, but they are offset by a constant desire to help and kindness. Such people by their nature are not capable of meanness.

Types of sensitivity

Depending on the direction in psychology, sensitivity is perceived differently: as the ability to perceive information (emotional and sensory sensitivity), and as a feature of temperament, where social sensitivity is distinguished, consisting of 4 types :

Thus, although balanced emotional sensitivity helps to cope with one’s own experiences, it is these 4 types of social sensitivity that are the key to success in professional growth. An important property of social sensitivity is overcoming the feeling of fear of society, communicating with other people, overcoming the inferiority complex characteristic of many people.

In psychology, it is believed that it is with the awareness of one’s inferiority that social sensitivity begins to develop - this is the willingness to overcome the fear of publicity, the desire to resolve conflict situations or find a way to improve relationships with new acquaintances.

How to use sensitivity to your advantage

Hypersensitivity should not be perceived by a person as a negative character trait. To use it to his advantage, the sensitive must remember its advantages:

• he subtly senses the mood of those around him, which helps him adapt to them for effective interaction;
• he knows how to notice beauty, which is a resource for him and helps restore mental balance;
• he knows about his shortcomings, so he can plan work on self-development and self-improvement;
• when communicating with others, he is careful in his choice of words, carefully monitors the intonations of his voice, fearing to offend his interlocutor, this allows him to maintain friendly relations;
• the tendency to double-check one’s work reduces the likelihood of error to zero, which makes the sensitive a master of his craft.

Benefits of Sensitivity

Classification of related personality types

In addition to emotional and social sensitivity, psychologists identify related types of behavior that relate to personal characteristics of temperament.

Sensitivity of temperament substantiates the personal qualities of a person, outside the spectrum of his emotional response to events and behavior in the social environment. Sensitiveness of temperament describes certain character traits, which in psychology are better known as melancholic, as well as depressive states of varying complexity. On the other hand, such hypersensitivity is not particularly characteristic of other types of temperament, that is, choleric, phlegmatic and sanguine.

The most common qualities of temperament that are described in the characteristics of sensitivity are the following human traits:

• strong impressionability;
• vulnerability;
• anxiety;
• suspiciousness;
• touchiness;
• self-criticism;
• inferiority complex.

Is special treatment needed? Features of correction of behavior and personality of a sensitive person

If you believe the recommendations of psychologists, the situation needs to be corrected only when the condition creates problems for a person and interferes with life. It is important to eliminate several negative traits. For example, anxiety, a tendency to feel sorry for oneself, hypochondria, conformity. Here several methods of therapy come to the rescue.

• Cognitive-behavioural. The goal is to find negative patterns and behaviors and eliminate them. This is not a one-day job. Perhaps not for a month. It is mainly carried out under the supervision of a psychotherapist, not a psychologist. So the efficiency is much higher.
• Personal therapy. They identify the very reasons that have become an obstacle to the development of positive personality traits. For example, childhood traumas, failures. They are working on them, precisely.

In some cases, methods of psychoanalysis and art therapy are indicated. At the discretion of the treating specialist. Family, if there is one, plays an important role. Acquaintances and friends. This is additional motivation for personal growth and development.

What are sensitive periods?

Sensitivity as a concept in psychology is also characterized by age characteristics. The idea of ​​sensitivity in developmental psychology describes peak and important moments in the development of mental functions of the individual in a given period. Sensitive periods are most pronounced in childhood and adolescence.

Child psychologists argue that the child’s psyche is more sensitive to the perception of the outside world, has less resistance and, because of this, is not only more impressionable, but also more capable of learning basic skills for living in society. The child’s development itself is progressive and uneven, so sensitive periods do not always occur, but they critically influence the formation of one or another human function and skill.

For example, the sensitive period for speech formation is the age from 0 to 6 years, when the child is actively learning speech skills. During this time, he unconsciously adopts the speech habits of his environment - vocabulary, grammar and dialectisms, and begins to master written speech.

From 6 to 10 years of age, sensitivity manifests itself in the learning process and in the development of discipline. This period is critical for the formation of the type of thinking and the development of basic cognitive functions - writing, reading, abstract concepts, mathematics and reflection.

At the age of 10, adolescence begins, the sensitivity of which is aimed at developing self-knowledge and self-esteem, separating oneself from collective perception. Critical skills during this period are the development of communication, the formation of one’s own worldview and value system.

Symptoms

A sensitive person can be recognized in childhood: sensitivity disorder can manifest itself either in the form of its exacerbation or lack of sensitivity. The formation of sensitivity can be influenced by anything or even a whole complex of factors, such as heredity, possible organic damage to brain structures, educational measures used by parents, as well as certain age stages of life. Violations can also occur at the level of temperament, which, in essence, is only the speed of reactions to the world around us , to nervous stimuli. It follows that sensitivity cannot be considered a disease. Melancholic people are more often than others sensitive individuals. Their suspiciousness and anxiety are extremely high.

It is very difficult to bear grievances, even minor ones.

Already in childhood, a sensitive person has a tendency to low self-esteem; later it can develop into high self-demands (demands for oneself) against the background of a reduced level of aspirations. In most cases, children outgrow this condition without significant consequences. In its extreme form, sensitivity becomes psychopathy.

Age sensitivity

The importance of developing a particular personal skill during a sensitive period is justified by the most acceptable biological and social need. In case of unsatisfactory development of skills during the sensitive period (communication, discipline, speech or writing), developing them at a later age will be possible, but more difficult.

Also, the unsatisfactory development of mental skills during a particular sensitive period can contribute to the development of mental problems: if a child does not speak on time, he may have problems communicating with other children, which will develop into a feeling of inferiority.

Age sensitivity and its timely use are considered by psychologists to be the key to the harmonious development of a child, his behavior, psyche, skills and talents. Age sensitivity in the learning process was developed in more detail by the Italian teacher and pedagogue Maria Montessori, who identified 7 critical periods of children’s age development:

• speech development (up to 6 years);
• development of perception of order (up to 3 years);
• sensory perception (up to 5 years);
• development of motor skills and plasticity (from 1 to 4 years);
• recognition and study of small objects (from 1 to 7 years);
• phonemic sensitivity (4 to 5 years);
• sensitive period for the development of writing skills (from 6 to 8 years).

Thus, age sensitivity is an important factor that should be taken into account during childhood growth and socialization.

Behavior in society

The self-esteem of sensitive people is often inadequate. They are touchy and very sensitive, which prevents them from becoming leaders, leaders in society. Their perception of reality does not imply adventure and courage, thrills, they almost always do not like alcohol, and are also quite timid with the opposite sex. Quite often, such people themselves cannot decide on their own attitude towards this or that person, since they have a lot of their own hidden experiences that occupy all his thoughts. They do not like pretense and lies, so it is easier for them to stay away from large companies than to adapt to the rules of the team, flatter, please and try to seem like a “darling”.

They are very sensitive to ridicule from others about them, as well as groundless accusations.

However, they will not go to sort things out with the offender; they will prefer to huddle resentfully in the far corner of their own apartment in order to “think everything over carefully.” At the same time, they tend to become depressed. The thought that someone might think something bad about them is unbearable for them. You should not assume that you can easily cheer up a sensitive person. He may smile politely at you, but he will not dare to express sincere joy, or rather, he will be embarrassed by its manifestations.

Personal relationships of the sensitive

Sensitivity is also an important factor in compatibility in a couple: people with different levels of perception and emotional experience can rarely get along and respect each other’s boundaries.

It often happens that a person with increased emotional sensitivity will withdraw even more into himself and his anxiety will increase due to the fear of breaking up the relationship. On the other hand, if a person has low social sensitivity, he will be afraid to violate the boundaries of his partner and thereby embarrass both of them with understatements.

Thus, taking into account sensitivity at the everyday and emotional level of a couple is an important aspect of building a harmonious relationship.

Advantages and disadvantages

Experts in the field of psychology and pedagogy believe that it is impossible to consider sensitivity as a positive or negative character trait of an individual. This quality has its pros and cons.

The sensitive period helps a person develop certain skills.

If, using special tests, you can find out that a given age period is sensitive for the development of certain skills, you can achieve maximum results in teaching this skill.

Thanks to sensitivity, people express sympathy and empathy for each other.

Sensitivity is a necessary quality for helping professionals.

Heightened sensitivity forces a person to treat loved ones with care and to respect a person’s personal boundaries in communication.

Due to increased sensitivity and a tendency to worry about trifles, a person experiences difficulties in socialization.

In interpersonal situations, anxious people experience fear.

It is difficult for sensitive people to establish contacts with colleagues and make new acquaintances.

The social activity of a citizen with increased sensitivity is extremely low.

High anxiety does not allow a person to feel comfortable when speaking in front of an audience.

In an unfavorable situation, increased impressionability can develop into psychopathy.

To neutralize the negative consequences of sensitivity, a person needs psychological help.

Career and professional activities

The sensitivity factor can also be used for proper career development. On the one hand, understanding your own emotional sensitivity allows you to improve stress resistance and not succumb to excessive self-criticism and the influence of negative thinking.

On the other hand, the development of social sensitivity is a key skill in modern professional activity, ensuring successful communication with others, the ability to build relationships and find a common language with colleagues.

Recommendations

• To increase your self-esteem, you should engage in activities that bring pleasure and interest. Typically, sensitive people try to develop their weak points, which is why they go into aggressive sports, try to build a career, often speaking in front of the public, and so on. This is called overcompensation, that is, a person seems to be trying to prove to himself that he is able to cope with his weaknesses, that he is not a coward. If you like reading books, cross-stitching and playing the guitar, spend time on these activities instead of jumping with a hated parachute, boxing competitions, wrestling, etc.
• If your child has such a sensitive character, handle him carefully; hardening and preparing for a harsh social life can turn into failure, only increasing the development of phobic disorders.
• Work on your self-esteem, it should definitely be increased. Then you will be able to achieve a feeling of inner harmony, torment and anxiety will go away. Excessive demands on yourself will not help you become better, but will only hasten the appearance of neurosis and other mental disorders.
• Learn to rely on your feelings and desires, without adjusting to others. You can’t please everyone in the world, but you can ruin your life by pushing your own ambitions into the background.
• Dose the loads of such a child, otherwise, having made a mistake due to fatigue, he will decide that he is a loser. Avoid being overly protective of him, give him the opportunity to gain experience and learn something. Because by doing his job, you will only confirm his ideas about insignificance and inability to cope with difficulties on his own.

Sensitivity: treat or develop?

Sensitivity in psychology is an ambiguous concept; it can be either a useful quality of a person’s character or a negative property of the psyche. On the one hand, sensitivity helps to develop important skills and personality traits, and on the other hand, it can contribute to mental disorders (neuroses, depression and panic attacks).

Despite its ambiguity, sensitivity is part of a full human life. Therefore, if you have a positive attitude towards it, and be able to balance the level of sensitivity, this will become an important aspect of life experience. That is why today there are many different courses and trainings that help develop perception skills, improve the skills of empathy, communication, observation and form adequate self-criticism - important aspects of professional activity.

Therefore, if you treat your own sensitivity responsibly and analyze in time which tendencies are more inherent to a person, positive or destructive, this will become an important factor in improving life.

Education

They study diligently so that they don’t have to feel ashamed of their poor performance in front of the whole class. If classmates offend you and you can’t establish contact with them, they still refuse to move to another school.

Adaptation is not easy, which is why it is easier for them to endure bullying than to adapt to new conditions again, to get used to other complete strangers.

When called to the board and asked something, they are ready to receive a low mark, despite the fact that they know the answer, just so as not to have to squeeze it out of themselves in front of everyone. Therefore, their written work is usually excellent, but their oral work is not so good.

It seems to them that if they utter even one word in public, their classmates will laugh at them and, in general, the whole school will subsequently tease them.

Or they will tell everything they know, get a good grade, and others will consider this act as an attempt to stand out and begin to persecute and mock.

Sensitivity training

Thus, simple cognitive behavioral therapy exercises can help keep sensitivity within a reasonable range. Moreover, these exercises help maintain awareness in difficult situations and in case of any psycho-emotional deviations, and not slide into emotional burnout or depression.

The most popular exercises for group sensitivity training are the following:

Thus, sensitivity training can help improve attention, memory and perception in every person. On the other hand, there are also trainings that help reduce excessive emotional sensitivity, which also interferes with productive work and building relationships.

Suitable professions

People with increased sensitivity have difficulty working in teams. Their effectiveness in a particular area of ​​work is much higher if they work alone. They do not tend to change jobs frequently and strive for rapid advancement up the career ladder. In the professional sphere, the main thing for them is stability and comfortable working conditions.

Sensitivity ensures success for an individual in such professions as:

1. Psychotherapist or psychologist. This personality trait provides the psychotherapist with the ability to notice and timely correct processes in the group, analyze the attitudes and value orientations of clients, and provide assistance to clients in resolving intrapersonal conflicts.
2. Designer. Increased sensitivity helps a person select successful color solutions and create compositions.
3. Florist. The ability to read a person’s emotional state by facial expressions and gestures will help a sensitive person create bouquets that the customer will like.
4. Engineer. The tendency to think about the smallest details will help the sensitive person take into account all the nuances when developing a complex drawing or project. An analytical mind and a heightened sense of responsibility will help a person become a master of his craft.
5. Photographer. The ability to see what others don’t see will help a sensitive person take atmospheric photographs. His services will be in demand.
6. Artist, musician or writer. The subtle mental organization of an impressionable person will become a source of inspiration for creating masterpieces of painting, music or literature.
7. Veterinarian, biologist or zoologist. Developed intuition and natural sensitivity will help a sensitive person not only successfully treat animals, but also enjoy his work.
8. Accountant, translator or financier. Such professions require care and concentration when working with signs. These qualities are well developed in sensitive people.

Important! When choosing a profession, a sensitive person must take into account working conditions. The need for active interaction with people, working in a large team, working in extreme conditions will quickly lead to emotional burnout.

Drug therapy

Sensitivity is a natural property of every person, of varying degrees of intensity. Psychology also provides different ways to work on individual sensitivity - from reducing it to increasing it. However, there is also an extreme form of therapy – medication.

This is specialized care that is used only in cases of severe emotional and psychological disturbance of the nervous system. Typically, treatment is aimed at restoring hormonal levels and is carried out under the supervision of a specialist.

Prevention of sensitivity in children and adults

A sensitive child requires additional attention. To prevent the worsening of pathological traits, it is enough to adhere to a moderate, democratic style of education. If we talk about specific preventive measures:

• Enough love and attention.
• Open expression of one's own feelings for the child. This is an important component of the successful development of a young representative of the psychotype.
• Minimum penalties. Strict rationality in the choice of methods and occasions. No physical or psychological violence.
• Involving a child in work. Also sufficient motivation.

Mandatory involvement in activities in the field of art.

Sensitive type. Since childhood, they have been shy and fearful. They are often afraid of the dark, avoid animals, especially dogs, and are afraid of being left alone or being locked at home. They are alienated from lively and noisy peers. They do not like active games and mischief. Timid and shy among strangers and in unusual surroundings. They are not inclined to communicate easily with strangers. All this can leave a false impression of isolation and isolation from the environment. In fact, such children are quite sociable with those they are accustomed to. They often like to play with children, feeling more confident and calm with them. They are attached to family and friends even if they are treated coldly and harshly. They are distinguished by their obedience and are known as “home children.” School scares them with noise, fuss and fights during breaks. They usually study diligently. They are afraid of all kinds of tests, checks, and exams. They are often embarrassed to answer at the board. They are afraid of being branded an upstart. Having become accustomed to one class and even suffering from persecution from some classmates, they are extremely reluctant to move to another.

The onset of puberty usually occurs without any particular complications. Difficulties begin in late adolescence, from the moment of entry into independent life. Then two main features of this type come to light: excessive impressionability and a sense of one’s own inferiority. They see many shortcomings in themselves, especially in the area of ​​moral, ethical and volitional qualities. The source of severe remorse in boys can be masturbation, which is common in adolescence. They are afraid that others will find out about him and accuse them of “vileness” and “debauchery.” Childhood attachment to relatives remains. They usually submit to the care of loved ones. Reproaches and punishments on their part are more likely to cause tears and despair than protest.

A sense of duty, responsibility, and excessive moral demands on oneself and others are formed early.

The overcompensation reaction is pronounced. They seek self-affirmation not where their abilities can be revealed, but precisely in the area where they feel weakness. The timid and shy put on a mask of cheerfulness, even arrogance, but in an unexpected situation they quickly give up. With confidential contact, behind the fallen mask of “nothing at all,” a life full of self-flagellation, subtle sensitivity and exorbitantly high demands on oneself are revealed. Unexpected sympathy for them can impute bravado to stormy tears.

They do not isolate themselves from their peers, they even strive for them, but they are picky in their choice of friends and affectionate in their friendships. They prefer a close friend to a noisy company, they willingly give up the leadership role to him, feeling more confident behind his back.

The hobbies of sensitive teenagers, according to the observations of Yu. A. Skrotsky [Pathological disorders..., 1973], are of two kinds. Some are of an intellectual and aesthetic nature (music, drawing, modeling, house flowers, songbirds, etc.), and the pleasure is derived from the process of these activities - they do not strive for any high results at all, and even evaluate their actual successes very modestly . People are often embarrassed to talk about this type of hobby with others. Another type of hobby is caused by an overcompensation reaction. What is important here is the achieved result and recognition from the outside; sometimes they engage in “overpowering themselves.” Boys try to overcome “weak will” by practicing strength sports (wrestling, dumbbell gymnastics, etc.). Teenagers of both sexes hope to overcome their timidity and shyness by rushing to public positions, where they usually carefully carry out the formal part of the assignments, but actual leadership secretly goes to others.

Sexual attraction increases shyness and feelings of inferiority. Due to overcompensation, declarations of love can be so unexpected and decisive that they frighten and repel the person to whom they are addressed. Rejected love asserts its worthlessness in thoughts, and suicidal intentions may arise.

There is no tendency towards delinquency or alcoholism. There is often an extremely negative attitude towards alcoholic beverages. In alcohol intoxication, instead of euphoria, depressive feelings may worsen. Sensitive young men usually do not smoke.

Self-esteem has a high level of objectivity. They don’t like and don’t know how to lie and pretend. They prefer to remain silent than to tell a lie.

A blow to a weak link usually occurs when a sensitive teenager becomes the object of unkind attention from others, ridicule or suspicion of unseemly acts, when a shadow falls on the teenager’s reputation or he is subjected to unfair public accusations.

The peculiarities of dynamics in a sensitive situation are that this type is relatively resistant to transformation. With age, in favorable conditions, especially in a good family environment, sensitive traits can smooth out. In other cases, they can, on the contrary, become sharper (especially in lonely “old maids”). With mixed types of accentuation, features of another type (schizoid, psychasthenic, astheno-neurotic) may come to the fore.

Sensitive accentuation serves as the basis for acute affective reactions of the intrapunitive type, phobic neurosis, reactive depression, as well as endoreactive psychoses - pubertal anorexia and teenage body dysmorphomania. Apparently, it is sensitive accentuation that is associated with an increased risk of progressive schizophrenia.

Vyacheslav V., 17 years old. Since childhood, I grew up quiet, timid, shy, avoided boys, and played more willingly with girls. One day he was beaten up by hooligans on the street. Since then, he has been afraid of unfamiliar teenagers and avoids them. He studied diligently, but with difficulty, and was afraid of tests and exams. The only son. Two years ago, my parents divorced (my father was a drunkard), but continued to live in the same apartment. I had a hard time with the divorce - my studies began to worsen, although I spent a long time working on homework. Before the final exams, I “panicked”: it seemed that I would not be able to pass them. He told his mother that he didn’t want to live. He was exempted from examinations at the psychoneurological dispensary. I was happy and calmed down. Having received a certificate, he immediately became an apprentice at the factory where his mother worked. I was happy with my job and felt calmer among adults. I didn’t make any new friends - I went to the other end of the city to visit a friend from my childhood. Recently, at work, his peer showed interest in him - he was very happy about this, and quickly became attached to her.

During the conversation, there is an embarrassed smile on his face. When asked about the conflicts between his mother and father, he burst into tears and could not calm down for a long time. At the mention of his girlfriend, he brightened up and spoke of meetings with her as the most joyful event in his life. He said that he considers himself very shy and impressionable, and is especially shy about strangers (“the ones I know are somehow easier with them”). His comrades always terrified him with their desire to drink, smoke and use foul language. He himself does not smoke and does not drink wine. When strangers look at him, he easily blushes and becomes embarrassed.

In physical development there are signs of mild hypogenital infantilism.

During a pathocharacterological examination using PDO, a sensitive type with traits of emotional lability was diagnosed on an objective assessment scale. No tendency towards alcoholism or delinquency has been established, and the emancipation reaction is not expressed. Self-esteem is satisfactory: according to the subjective assessment scale, sensitive, labile and conformal traits are noted, unstable traits are rejected.

Conclusion. Mentally healthy. Explicit accentuation of the sensitive type.

Catamnesis. Collected after a year. Continues working. He intends to marry a girl to whom he remains very attached.

Thresholds

The perception of reality that every human being has is created through the information received by the sensory receptors present in the human body. This information is transmitted to the brain in the form of electrical signals, which it receives and interprets as experiences.

Sensitivity is a quantity in psychology or psychophysics that studies the degree of perception to stimuli around a person. In this case, psychophysicists often use the term “threshold”. It refers to the limits at which a person perceives or interprets something. For example, there is a minimum value at which someone can perceive a certain stimulus. This value is a threshold value. Threshold is the lowest intensity of stimulus that produces a response.

Psychologists have identified 2 types of sensitivity thresholds:

• absolute is the minimum amount of stimulation that a person can interpret or perceive;
• The difference threshold or differential is the minimum difference in stimulus intensity.

Psychophysics as a science has focused primarily on the study of the absolute threshold.

Originally, according to research in neuroscience and psychophysics, the absolute threshold referred to the minimum level of stimulus intensity at which a person's sensory receptors could perceive it.

For example:

• the lowest volume that can be heard;
• the shortest distance to which one can clearly see;
• the lowest concentration of odor that can be detected.

However, it was later noted that internal or external factors may influence the absolute threshold. For example, a person can easily taste food in good health. But with a cold, the intensity of taste decreased during meals. This made it difficult to determine an absolute threshold because health status can change over time.

To counter this problem, it was decided to change the method for determining the absolute threshold. Now psychologists ask subjects to take several tests over a certain period. The value that turns out to be true 50% of the time is called the absolute personality threshold.

Currently, the absolute threshold is the lowest intensity value at which a person can perceive a stimulus 50% of the time. The idea that influenced this modification is known as the single detection theory. It states that there is no single absolute threshold due to other influencing factors.

Sensitivity is a characteristic human characteristic in psychology, and women, according to the observations of psychologists, tend to have a lower absolute threshold than men. Research has shown that introverts show reduced levels of stimulation.

Absolute thresholds are subject to change as people grow older. When people are younger, they can detect energy levels at lower levels. But it takes more stimulation for a person to detect the same stimuli as they get older.

The differential threshold, also known as the difference threshold, is the minimum difference in stimulus intensity required for a person to perceive or detect a change. This is also called a “merely noticeable change.” As with the absolute threshold, a person must be able to detect the same value at least 50% of the time.

In this case, Weber's law is used, the effect of which can be illustrated by the following example:

• The sound from the TV is at volume 5. If the volume is changed to 10 (100% increase), the difference in sound will be noticeable. The volume change between 50 and 55% will not be the same. In order for a person to notice this, it is necessary to change the volume from 50 to volume 100 (100% increase).

The main differences between absolute and differential thresholds are:

The absolute threshold and the threshold of difference are important concepts of meaning and perception. Unlike the absolute threshold, the difference threshold varies with stimulus intensity. An example would be a person in a very dark movie theater.

If an audience member received a text message on her cell phone that caused her screen to light up, chances are that many people would notice a change in the lighting in the room. However, if the same thing happened in a bright arena during a basketball game, few would notice it. The brightness of a cell phone does not change, but its ability to detect changes in illumination varies greatly between the two contexts.

Sensation is the first step in the process of allowing the brain to sense features and changes in the environment. Sensitivity in psychology is a characteristic of a person that manifests itself in a reaction to events that happen to him. In classical sensory psychophysics, the concept of sensitivity is defined based on the concept of sensory threshold: the higher the threshold, the lower the sensitivity and vice versa.

Author: Belyaeva Anna

Forms of manifestations

The most important function of the nervous system is sensitivity. The brain not only receives receptor impulses from the outside world, but also sends signals to the periphery. Sensitive signals can be conscious and subconscious. The first group includes perceptions received daily: the sensation of pain, the feeling of touching an object, the sensation of light.

Researchers in various disciplines (psychology, sociology, human development, biology) have long recognized different levels of sensitivity. Dr. Elaine Aron, a clinical psychologist, developed a now widely used scale to measure responses to various stimuli.

According to the scale, some markers of highly sensitive people include:

• Withdrawal and solitude from stimulation.
• Depression under the influence of bright light, strong smells, loud sounds and other irritants.
• Being influenced by other people's moods.
• Feeling irritable or overwhelmed when asked to do too many things at once.

Psychologists also use a behavior scale. For example, discomfort from loud noise is associated with a low sensitivity threshold. Nervousness when performing multiple tasks in a short period of time is associated with ease of agitation. Reaction to pleasant stimuli, such as music, smells, is associated with aesthetic sensitivity.