Short Polish version of the Highly Sensitive Person Scale – exploring its multidimensional structure in a sample of emerging adults

Abstract

Sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) is a heritable trait and persons who are characterized by a high level of it are termed highly sensitive. The first and the most frequently used scale developed to measure high sensitivity is the Highly Sensitive Person Scale (HSPS), which has become increasingly popular and has been adapted to many languages in recent years. The present article forms a part of the publications which deal with the subject of tool adaptation and the exploration of their structure. participants and procedureThis article presents the results of research conducted on a Polish sample of emerging adults consisting of 470 persons. The aim of this study is to further analyse the psychometric properties of the HSPS, as well as to provide initial evidence for the properties of the scale on a Polish sample. The analyses conducted to date have been extend-ed and the item response theory (IRT) model has been included. Also, a proposal for a shortened scale is presented. resultsThe results show that the Polish version of the HSPS constitutes a reliable method whose validity is proven by correlations with the Pavlovian Temperament Survey as well as being a reliable measure of the SPS construct. conclusionsThe results obtained support the multi-factor structure of the scale. There is a need for further analysis of the cultural aspect in sensitivity studies as well as for exploring gender differences.

HSPS-10—Short Version of the Highly Sensitive Person Scale for Students Aged 12–25 Years

“…The final version was translated again into Polish and then edited by a team of psychologists fluent in English so that the content of the test items was fully consistent with the Polish cultural context. The study participants answered questions using a 7-point Likert scale [ 9 ]. The research was conducted in groups; the pen-and-paper method was used among university students while primary and secondary school students answered the questionnaire online ( Supplementary Table S1 ).…”

“…In addition, a set of standardized sten scores (sten in short) has been developed to ensure the comparability of individual results. The confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) of the scale structure was performed using a model that allows for the grouping of the answers to the 10 questions of the questionnaire into 3 factors, with a second-order factor being the general result of the short version of the HSP scale [ 9 ] In order to assess the internal consistency of the factors, the Cronbach’s α coefficient was used [ 24 , 25 ]. The thresholds of the sten scores were determined through the use of a linear transformation of the standardized results [ 26 , 27 ].…”

“…HSPS-10 was developed on the basis of a study conducted with a group of adults aged 19–25 years. It contains 10 questions and allows for the attainment of a general score and a sensitivity profile described by a three-factor structure [ 9 ]. However, children and adolescents are a group of particular interest from the perspective of the practical use of the HSP scale.…”

“…The structure of the 10-item version of the HSP scale was verified in the CFA. The 10-item version of the HSP scale demonstrates a good fit of the three-factor model to the data [ 9 ]. A verification of the psychometric properties of the short version of the scale in a group of students also provided the grounds for the development of standards allowing for differential developmental diagnosis, and this is a gap worth filling among the various versions of the scale used in Poland and in the world.…”

Environmental sensitivity in young adolescents: The identification of sensitivity groups in a Polish sample

“…These terms are widely accepted in many studies and reviews, and the individuals factors have been the subject of numerous studies (i.a., [ 6 , 19 ]). The division into three separate factors is also the most representative aspect of the shortened Norwegian version of the scale [ 19 ], the Polish version [ 20 ], and also of one of the German versions [ 21 ]. However, it should be emphasized that some of the test items in the cited studies were removed with reference to the original version of the Aron scale (i.a., [ 18 , 19 ]), and some other ones were added [ 21 ].…”