Improving the Measurement of Environmental Sensitivity in Children and Adolescents: The Highly Sensitive Child Scale–21 Item Version. (June 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Weyn, Sofie; Van Leeuwen, Karla; Pluess, Michael; Lionetti, Francesca; Goossens, Luc; Bosmans, Guy; Van Den Noortgate, Wim; Debeer, Dries; Bröhl, Anne Sophie; Bijttebier, Patricia
• Is Part Of: Assessment. Volume 29:Number 4(2022)
• Page Start: 607
• Page End: 629
• Publication Date: 2022-06
• Subjects: environmental sensitivity -- sensory processing sensitivity -- children -- early adolescents -- psychometric properties -- multi-informants; Psychological tests -- Periodicals; Psychodiagnostics -- Periodicals; Personality tests -- Periodicals; 150.287
• DOI: 10.1177/1073191120983894
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1073-1911

Abstract

Children differ in their sensitivity to positive and negative environmental influences, which can be measured with the Highly Sensitive Child (HSC) scale. The present study introduces the HSC-21, an adaptation of the original 12 item scale with new items and factor structure that are meant to be more informative than the original ones. The psychometric properties of the HSC-21 were investigated in 1, 088 children across Belgium and the Netherlands, including child and mother reports. Results showed evidence for (a) bifactor model with a general sensitivity factor and two specific factors (i.e., Ease of Excitation–Low Sensory Threshold and Aesthetic Sensitivity); (b) (partial) measurement invariance across gender, developmental stage, country, and informants; (c) moderate child–mother agreement; (d) good reliability; (e) normally distributed item scores; and (f) meaningful associations with personality and temperament across both samples. No evidence was found for HSC-21 as a moderator in the relationship between parenting and problem behaviors.