Observer-rated environmental sensitivity and its characterization at behavioral, genetic, and physiological levels.

Area of Science:

• Developmental Psychology
• Behavioral Genetics
• Child Psychiatry

Background:

• High sensitivity is a trait influencing emotional and behavioral responses.
• Understanding sensitivity in early childhood is crucial for developmental research.
• The Highly Sensitive Child-Rating System (HSC-RS) requires psychometric validation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the psychometric properties of the HSC-RS in preschoolers.
• To identify distinct sensitivity groups within a preschool sample.
• To explore the behavioral, genetic, and physiological correlates of sensitivity.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the HSC-RS with 541 preschoolers.
• Collected temperament, genetic (GWAS PGS, candidate genes), cortisol, and EEG asymmetry data.
• Employed confirmatory factor analysis and latent class analysis.

Main Results:

• The HSC-RS demonstrated reliable measurement of sensitivity.
• Three sensitivity groups were identified: low (23.3%), medium (54.2%), and high (22.5%).
• Moderate associations were found between HSC-RS scores and observed temperament traits; a small negative association with ADHD GWAS PGS was observed, but no significant genetic or physiological links were identified.

Conclusions:

• The HSC-RS is a reliable tool for assessing sensitivity in preschoolers.
• Sensitivity exists on a continuum with identifiable groups.
• Behavioral correlates are more strongly associated with sensitivity than genetic or physiological markers in this age group.