Stimulus sensitivity in the gifted

What is Giftedness?

Giftedness encompasses more than just high intelligence, as measured by an IQ test. Current definitions also associate it with traits such as creativity and perseverance. High sensitivity is often mentioned, meaning that stimuli are processed in a different way than others.

What Are Incentives?

Stimuli are information that comes in through the five familiar senses (hearing, feeling, seeing, tasting, smelling). Sometimes these senses work together, as with our balance. The sensors in muscles and joints, proprioceptors, and the vestibular system at the ears, work together to provide the proper sense of balance and movement. These stimuli are also called the sixth and seventh senses. Interocepsis, the perception of stimuli from the internal organs (such as hunger, thirst, pain, nausea), is sometimes added as the eighth sense.

What is Stimulus Sensitivity?

Through the senses we access physical reality, which is different for everyone. For the gifted, sensory information processing proceeds differently; stimuli are experienced more intensely. This causes, for example, more intense emotions and that images make more of an impression through better perception of nuances and colors. Gifted people are often visually oriented, which can lead to association with image thinking, a non-scientifically substantiated but sometimes mentioned trait.

Heightened sensitivity to stimuli often involves intense emotions and thoughts. Both the information coming in and its interpretation are different. This can cause problems, especially if the environment is not supportive.

Dabrowski's Theory of Positive Disintegration

Kazimierz Dąbrowski developed a theory in which he pays attention to multilayeredness in personality development. Our brain contains both reflexive and conscious structures that can work together but also cause conflicts. It is important to align these structures for personal development. Dąbrowski distinguishes five levels of personality development, ranging from primary integration of biological instincts to the embodiment of one's own personality ideal. The five stimulus sensitivities he distinguishes can help get to the next level, even negative emotions and disorders such as depression, autism or ADHD can contribute to this growth.

Dabrowski's Five Areas of Stimulus Sensitivity

1. Intellectual Stimulus Sensitivity: Associated with wanting to solve problems, deep curiosity and constant hunger for learning.
2. Psychomotor Excitability: High energy level, rapid speech and movement, drive and sometimes physical restlessness.
3. Sensory Sensitivity: Intense experience of sensory stimuli, both pleasurable and overwhelming.
4. Imaginative Sensitivity: Rich imagination, inventiveness and sometimes a strong imagination.
5. Emotional Sensitivity: Sensitivity to mood and the emotional state of others, intense and complex emotional experiences.

Learning to Deal with Irritability

It is important to know and feel that you are valued. You may take into account your own stimulus sensitivity and decide for yourself what is normal for you. Developing coping mechanisms is essential, as is understanding the stimuli that come in and how you react to them. By understanding your own stimulus sensitivity, you can learn to regulate it and enjoy its positives.

Differences in Impulse Processing

People with giftedness, HSPs and people with autism can all be stimulus sensitive, but the way they deal with it differs. For autistic people, an appropriate environment can positively influence behavior and feelings, while this does not always work for gifted and HSPs. Intellectual hypersensitivity in giftedness resembles that in Asperger's Syndrome, but interests tend to be less obsessive and long-term in gifted individuals. Movement anxiety and creativity also occur in ADHD.

If gifted individuals have problems, they may exhibit characteristics of autism or ADHD. It is important to consider both DSM-5 and giftedness characteristics to get a complete picture and do the person justice.