Development of Sensory Sensitivity Scales (SeSS): Reliability and validity analyses

Area of Science:

• Psychometrics
• Neuroscience
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• Existing sensory sensitivity scales are primarily designed for children.
• Current adult scales often conflate sensory modalities with social/emotional factors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate new scales for assessing visual, auditory, and somatosensory sensitivities in adults.
• To ensure these scales measure sensory domains independently of social/emotional characteristics.

Main Methods:

• Two studies were conducted, involving pilot and main groups for visual-auditory and somatosensory assessments.
• Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used to establish scale structure and validity.
• Large sample sizes (total N > 2000) supported robust statistical analyses.

Main Results:

• The Sensory Sensitivity Scales (SeSS) demonstrated good construct validity across visual, auditory, and somatosensory domains.
• Internal consistency was confirmed for all sensory categories (alpha coefficients ranging from .69 to .86).
• Convergent validity was supported by a positive correlation between higher autistic traits and increased sensory sensitivity.

Conclusions:

• The developed Sensory Sensitivity Scales (SeSS) provide a reliable tool for adults.
• SeSS can be utilized for screening sensory sensitivity variations.
• The scales are suitable for monitoring the effectiveness of sensory interventions in adult populations.