The Psychology of your 20s
The Psychology of your 20s

The psychology of highly sensitive people

July 23, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

The psychology of highly sensitive people

Roughly one in five people qualifies as a highly sensitive person (HSP), a term coined by psychologist Elaine Aron in the 1990s. Yet the common image of the sensitive person as someone who cries easily, overreacts, and needs to be handled with kid gloves misses the full picture. As host Jemma Sbeg explains, sensitivity is not fragility—it is a fundamentally different way of processing the world, one that brings both heightened vulnerability and genuine cognitive advantages.

What defines a highly sensitive person

Aron developed the Highly Sensitive Person Scale, a free questionnaire that helps people identify whether they fit the profile. The criteria include being easily overwhelmed by strong sensory input (bright lights, strong smells, rough fabrics), startling easily, finding it hard to manage multiple things at once, and trying hard to avoid mistakes. But the criteria also include being deeply moved by music, movies, and art; having a rich and complex inner life; and sensing when someone in a room is uncomfortable and knowing what would help them feel better.

Continue reading the full summary in the app — free to try.

Read Full Summary →

Free • No credit card required

Listen to Audio Summary Open in App

What you'll learn

  • 1 (03:11) **Episode Introduction & Framing Sensitivity** - Host Gemma Spike introduces the rerun episode, reframing sensitivity as a rich inner life rather than a flaw.
  • 2 (07:11) **Defining the Highly Sensitive Person (HSP)** - Distinguishes reactive sensitivity from the stable personality trait of being an HSP, introducing Dr. Elaine Aron's framework.
  • 3 (11:53) **The Neuroscience of Sensitivity (VMPFC)** - Explains the brain mechanism behind emotional saturation, linking it to creativity and intelligence.
  • 4 (14:26) **Prevalence and the Link to Intelligence** - Discusses that 20% of the population are HSPs and presents research linking sensitivity to higher IQ and sensory intelligence.
  • 5 (17:20) **The Role of Temperament** - Explores how innate temperament, specifically the melancholic type, forms the foundation of a sensitive personality.
  • 6 (20:22) **The Genetic Blueprint (Three Genes)** - Details the three specific genes that contribute to high sensitivity, explaining their functions.
  • 7 (29:38) **How Upbringing Shapes Sensitivity** - Discusses how childhood environment, including trauma and parenting style, can elevate or condition high sensitivity.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Guests on this episode

Jemma Sbeg

Show Notes

The life of the highly sensitive person is often misunderstood. Highly sensitive aren't just people who cry too much or get overwhelmed, take things too personally: they actually take in so much of the world that it can be too much. They feel everything, from joy to sadness, so immediately and profoundly. They are also so in tune with the emotions of all those around them that sometimes it can be too much. Today we break down the psychology of the highly sensitive person, including: 

  • What are the core assessment criteria for identifying if you're highly sensitive?
  • What causes someone to be highly sensitive? 
  • The genetic, personality, parental and temperment contribution 
  • The link between sensitivity, IQ, EQ and creativity + the gentle superpower of sensitive people 
  • Do highly sensitive people have more empathy? 
  • The link between neurodivergence and sensitivity 
  • How to explain your sensitivity to others 
  • How to make the world work for your gentle, feeling soul, and so much more!

This episode is FULL of tips, research and studies. Listen now! 

The assessment: https://hsperson.com/test/highly-sensitive-test/ 

Watch on Netflix: HERE

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

Subscribe on Substack: @thepsychologyofyour20s

For business: [email protected] 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Psychology of your 20s

More from this podcast

The Psychology of your 20s →