Relationship between sensory processing sensitivity and response to induced cognitive stress

Abstract

Introduction. Sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) is a personality trait characterized by heightened central nervous system reactivity and deeper cognitive processing of physical, social, and emotional stimuli. As a result, individuals with higher SPS levels are generally expected to display heightened responsiveness to stressors. The aim of the present study is to examine how SPS influences various stress responses when individuals are subjected to induced cognitive stress. Methods. Twenty participants (45% females; age mean 25.80, SD = 7.35) participated in this quasi-experiment, utilizing a counterbalanced small-N “within-group” design with replication. Two conditions for each participant were applied: untimed Stroop task performance (comparison effect) and timed Stroop task performance (stress effect). Sensory processing sensitivity was assessed using the Highly Sensitive Persons Scale (HSPS). In each condition, various stress responses were assessed: heart rate (measured through a biofeedback apparatus), subjective stress evaluation (via questionnaire), and cognitive performance (Stroop task). Results. The mean score of HSPS in the sample was 114.95 (SD = 26.51). While the stress condition induced significant changes in stress responses (p < 0.001), the HSPS score was not significantly related to participants’ heart rate or subjective stress evaluation, nor their changes (p > 0.05). Additionally, sensory processing sensitivity was only partially related to cognitive performance during Stroop task, as individuals with higher sensory processing sensitivity made fewer errors during comparison (Rho = 0.32; p = 0.043) and stress exposures (Rho = 0.49; p = 0.004). However, these associations did not extend to the mean reaction time or the number of response failures, as they did not reach statistical significance (p > 0.05). Conclusions. The results of this study suggest that while sensory processing sensitivity may not directly impact physiological stress responses, it does seem to influence cognitive performance, particularly in tasks requiring focused attention.