Highly Sensitive Persons’ Complicated Self-Identification and Generalized Social Anxiety

Abstract

Highly sensitive persons (HSPs), who are characterized by their sensory processing sensitivity (SPS), often exhibit a heightened awareness of emotional and environmental stimuli. As more HSPs have begun to recognize their differences, and society has not yet developed sufficient understanding of HSPs, the societal marginalization and pathologization within extravert-centric cultures have led to negative self-perception and social anxiety among HSPs. Existing research suggests that HSPs frequently score high in neuroticism and introversion, yet exhibit openness to experiences. However, more in-depth, multidimensional characteristics of HSPs are needed to explore. Thus, the paper reviews several empirical studies, focusing on the self-identification of HSPs and their social anxiety. Key findings confirmed a correlated relationship between the self-identification of highly sensitive individuals and their social difficulties. Furthermore, the results demonstrate that self-acceptance and tailored lifestyle choices among HSPs enhance well-being, while unresolved challenges include compassion fatigue and emotional loneliness. Despite contributions, limitations such as small sample sizes and cultural biases underscore the need for further research. This paper synthesizes current knowledge, highlights gaps, and proposes directions for further studies to better support HSPs in diverse social contexts.