Psychologist Elaine Aron describes high sensitivity (HSP, highly sensitive person) as a temperament trait, not a disorder: processing information from your surroundings more deeply than usual. Its scientific name is sensory processing sensitivity (SPS).
This test has 20 statements, five for each facet of Aron’s DOES model: depth of processing, ease of overstimulation, emotional intensity and empathy, and sensitivity to subtleties. It gives you an overall level (low, moderate or high) and also your profile by facet, because two people with the same level can be sensitive in very different ways. It takes about 3 minutes.
All possible results
Low Sensitivity
Your surroundings don't overwhelm you easily: you process everyday stimuli without special intensity or a need to retreat.
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“High sensitivity isn't better or worse than its absence: it's a temperament trait, with different advantages and costs at each end.” — inspired by the work of Elaine Aron
What this score means
Your answers don't show the pattern of deep processing and intense reactivity described by sensory processing sensitivity (SPS). You tend to handle everyday noise, change, and emotional load without needing a special retreat to recover.
How it shows up day to day
- Loud, bright, or busy environments don't wear you out in any special way.
- You adapt to big changes (a move, a new job) without an outsized reaction.
- Mild criticism rarely affects you more than you'd expect.
An important note
This result is for orientation and informational purposes only, inspired by psychologist Elaine Aron's work (2012, 2020) on sensory processing sensitivity: it isn't a diagnosis and doesn't replace a professional psychological assessment.
Moderate Sensitivity
There are situations (fatigue, overload, big changes) where you process everything more intensely than usual, without it being a dominant pattern.
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“In Elaine Aron's original survey, roughly one in four people falls into this middle zone: neither especially sensitive nor especially unaffected by their surroundings.”
What this score means
Your answers show some degree of deep processing and emotional reactivity, perhaps more pronounced during moments of fatigue, overload, or change, without reaching the sustained pattern that sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) describes at its highest.
How it shows up day to day
- You notice certain nuances or changes in your surroundings more than average, though not constantly.
- Too much stimulation affects you a bit more than expected, especially when it piles on top of fatigue.
- A mild criticism or negative comment can stick with you longer than you'd like, at certain moments.
An important note
This result is for orientation and informational purposes only, inspired by psychologist Elaine Aron's work (2012, 2020) on sensory processing sensitivity: it isn't a diagnosis and doesn't replace a professional psychological assessment.
High Sensitivity (HSP)
You process information from your surroundings with marked depth and intensity: the trait Elaine Aron describes as being a highly sensitive person (HSP).
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Elaine Aron sums up the trait with the acronym DOES: "D is for depth of processing. Our most basic characteristic is that we observe and reflect before acting. O is for being easily overstimulated, because if you're going to pay closer attention to everything, you're naturally going to tire more quickly. E is for emotional reactivity and empathy. And S is for being aware of subtle stimuli."
What this score means
Your answers match the pattern Aron describes in roughly 15-20% of the population: you process information more deeply than usual, you get overstimulated more easily, you react with more emotional intensity, and you pick up on subtle nuances that escape other people.
What this result does NOT mean
- It isn't the same as being introverted. Aron found that about 30% of highly sensitive people are extroverted: sensitivity describes how you process, not how much you enjoy social interaction.
- It isn't the same as being shy or anxious. Shyness is a learned fear of social judgment; sensitivity is an innate temperament trait. A classic study (Brodt and Zimbardo) showed that the physical arousal of sensitivity is easily mistaken for fear from the outside, even when it isn't.
- It isn't a disorder. Aron coined the term "sensory processing sensitivity" (SPS) specifically to set it apart from sensory processing disorder or autism spectrum conditions, which it shouldn't be confused with.
An interesting fact
Although the trait shows up in roughly 20% of the general population, it's estimated to rise to nearly 50% among people who seek psychotherapy: highly sensitive people tend to be more aware of their distress and to benefit more from therapy, not just to suffer more. That same idea (that sensitivity amplifies both the hard and the good) underlies the concept of vantage sensitivity proposed by Jay Belsky and Michael Pluess: someone who processes the bad more intensely also seems to benefit more from the good.
An important note
This result is for orientation and informational purposes only, inspired by psychologist Elaine Aron's work (2012, 2020) on sensory processing sensitivity: it isn't a diagnosis and doesn't replace a professional psychological assessment.
Indicative result, not a diagnosis. It describes how you described yourself today, not a disorder or a clinical condition, and it does not replace assessment by a mental health professional. If what you are feeling overwhelms you or persists over time, consider talking it through with a professional.
How this test was built
It measures your degree of sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) overall and on each of the four facets of the DOES model: how much you process information, how soon you get overstimulated, how intensely you experience emotions and how much…
High sensitivity is not a clinical diagnosis or a disorder recognised in the DSM-5.
This is a short, educational self-report.
See the full methodology
What it measures
It measures your degree of sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) overall and on each of the four facets of the DOES model: how much you process information, how soon you get overstimulated, how intensely you experience emotions and how much you perceive nuances.
What model it uses
Aron summed up the trait with the acronym DOES:
- D, depth of processing.
- O, ease of overstimulation.
- E, emotional reactivity and empathy.
- S, sensitivity to subtle stimuli.
The overall result falls into three levels, in line with the three groups that Lionetti and colleagues (2018) found in 906 adults: low, medium and high sensitivity.
Where that model comes from
Elaine and Arthur Aron published the Highly Sensitive Person Scale (HSPS, 27 items) in 1997 and defined the trait as distinct from introversion and emotionality. Later studies examined its structure: Smolewska, McCabe and Woody (2006) found three components (ease of excitation, low sensory threshold and aesthetic sensitivity). The review by Greven and colleagues (2019) places it within “environmental sensitivity”: more sensitive people suffer more in negative environments, but also benefit more from positive ones.
How the result is calculated
There are 20 statements, five per facet, on a 5-point agreement scale. Each answer distributes points among the three levels (low, moderate and high), and the level with the most points is your overall result.
Separately, for each facet the average of your five answers is calculated on a 0-100% scale: 0% would be “strongly disagree” on all of them and 100% “strongly agree” on all of them. That breakdown shows what your sensitivity actually looks like.
What your result means
The result describes a temperament trait. Aron estimates that around 15-20% of the population is highly sensitive; in Lionetti’s study (2018), the high-sensitivity group was 31%, the medium group 40% and the low group 29%. None of the three levels is better than the others.
What it does NOT mean
High sensitivity is not a clinical diagnosis or a disorder recognised in the DSM-5. This result does not replace an assessment by a psychology professional, and it should not be confused with sensory processing disorder or with the autism spectrum, which are different things.
Limitations
This is a short, educational self-report. Its items were written by Personaramic based on the DOES model: they are not the HSPS items or those of the self-test in Aron’s books, and its cut-offs do not come from a reference sample, so the level is only indicative. Research also shows that part of what these scales measure overlaps with neuroticism (especially overstimulation and low sensory threshold) and with openness to experience (aesthetic sensitivity). As Aron herself says in her self-test, no questionnaire is accurate enough to base your life on.
Academic 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), 345-368.
- Aron, E. N. (1996). The Highly Sensitive Person. Broadway Books.
- Smolewska, K. A., McCabe, S. B., & Woody, E. Z. (2006). A psychometric evaluation of the Highly Sensitive Person Scale. Personality and Individual Differences, 40(6), 1269-1279.
- Lionetti, F., Aron, A., Aron, E. N., Burns, G. L., Jagiellowicz, J., & Pluess, M. (2018). Dandelions, tulips and orchids: evidence for the existence of low-sensitive, medium-sensitive and high-sensitive individuals. Translational Psychiatry, 8, 24.
- Greven, C. U., Lionetti, F., Booth, C., et al. (2019). Sensory Processing Sensitivity in the context of Environmental Sensitivity: A critical review and development of research agenda. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 98, 287-305.
Frequently asked questions
What does Elaine Aron's DOES acronym mean?
Depth of processing, Overstimulation (easily overstimulated), Emotional reactivity and empathy, and Sensitivity to subtleties. Aron considers that a highly sensitive person needs to show all four characteristics, not just one.
Is being highly sensitive the same as being introverted?
No. According to Aron's own research, about 30% of highly sensitive people are extroverted. Sensitivity describes how deeply you process information, not whether you prefer solitude or company.
Is it a disorder or an illness?
No. It's a normal variation in temperament, present in roughly 15-20% of the population (and in over 100 animal species, according to Aron's research). It doesn't appear in diagnostic manuals like the DSM.
Can I be highly sensitive without realizing it?
Yes. Aron explains that many highly sensitive people grow up thinking something is wrong with them, instead of recognizing a temperament trait, especially if their childhood environment didn't validate this way of being.
How long does the test take?
About 3 minutes: 20 statements, five for each facet of the DOES model, with five response options each.
See all 9 questions
How many people are highly sensitive?
Aron estimates around 15-20% of the population. A study of 906 adults (Lionetti and colleagues, 2018) found three groups rather than two: 31% high sensitivity (“orchids”), 40% medium (“tulips”) and 29% low (“dandelions”).
Why doesn’t this test use Elaine Aron’s original questions?
Aron’s scale (HSPS) and the self-test in her books are copyrighted, and she offers them on her own website, hsperson.com. Here the statements are written from scratch around the four facets of the DOES model, using everyday situations, and the result adds a breakdown by facet that the original self-test does not give.
Is being very sensitive a disadvantage?
It depends on the environment. The review by Greven and colleagues (2019) describes high sensitivity as greater responsiveness to the environment in both directions: stressful experiences hit harder, but positive experiences and support also help more.
Is it free?
Yes, it's completely free: no sign-up or payment needed to take the test and see your result.
