Sensory Processing Sensitivity: theory, evidence and directions

In recent years, scientific interest in sensory processing sensitivity (SPS), a personality trait that captures inter-individual differences in the processing, perception and response to both negative and positive stimuli, has grown exponentially. This review summarises the recent literature on SPS to discuss a number of central themes, including its assessment, relation to other personality traits, effects on cognition and mental health, and its (neuro)biological basis. We also identify existing knowledge gaps and capitalise on a general theory of brain function, predictive processing, to provide a novel mechanistic account of SPS. This account offers a unified explanation for the phenotypic consequences of enhanced sensory sensitivity and can serve as a guide for future research.