Sensitivity in psychology is a person's feeling of increased sensitivity, insecurity and vulnerability. Most often, such people complain that they are not understood. Patients, when contacting a specialist, speak out about the feeling of unfriendliness of others, as well as the understanding that they are worse than others. Sensitivity is a manifestation of excessive stiffness and shyness.
Special sensitivity
Sensitivity in psychology is a concept relating to personality traits. It consists in excessive vulnerability and sensitivity, increased conscientiousness, as well as a constant tendency to doubt one's actions and to fixate on one's experiences. A sensitive person is mentally easily vulnerable.
This state of special sensitivity may be short-lived. It often accompanies strong disappointments, disappointments or nervous tensions.
Sensitivity can also bea frequent or even constant occurrence. Often this way of thinking, when it seems to a person that the whole world is against him, hinders the social adaptation of the individual.
In the event that such symptoms occur, it becomes necessary to consult a psychotherapist. Reliable information about the patient must be collected by a specialist in order to choose the right treatment tactics and alleviate the patient's condition.
Sensitivity is a condition that can result from various mental disorders. These include:
- neuroses;
- stress conditions;
- organic type brain diseases;
- personality pathologies;
- depression;
- anxiety disorders;
- endogenous mental disorders;
- toxic brain damage.
Critical period
Age sensitivity is often observed in children. In their life there comes a moment when the mental maturation of a small person occurs, which contributes to the assimilation of certain functions by him. As a rule, the child's environment presents him with a variety of opportunities for exercise. These exercises should suit the needs of the little individual. But there are situations when this does not happen. The child thus loses the possibility of natural assimilation.
So, for the development of speech, the sensitive period (the optimal period for the development of mental abilities) is the age from one to three years. In that case whenthe child is brought up in conditions of a depleted speech environment, his lag in the development of speech is very significant. It is very difficult to fill this gap in the future. The sensitive period for the development of phonemic hearing is the age of five, and for the development of writing skills - six to eight years.
Premature, as well as late training, usually gives poor results.
Susceptibility to external factors
Along with age in psychology, the so-called characterological sensitivity stands out. This is a phenomenon of exacerbation of emotional susceptibility to a certain kind of external influences. This state is manifested in relationships with other people. Characterological sensitivity is the ability to deeply understand personal manifestations and empathize with a particular situation. In this sense, it is a positive trait. But, on the other hand, this type of sensitivity makes a person psychologically vulnerable. On this basis, painful manifestations of resentment and vulnerability can develop. In the most unfavorable cases, neurotic disorders occur.
Features of temperament
The degree of sensitivity is judged by the strength of external influences, which is necessary for the occurrence of any mental reaction. So, for one person, certain conditions may not cause any irritation, while for another they are a strong exciting factor. For example, for some unmet need, one person cannot notice at all, and the other under the same conditions will certainly suffer. Thus, we can conclude that sensitivity is a concept that also depends on the temperament of the individual.
Different types of people by character traits
The sensitivity of temperament in choleric people is characterized by imbalance and excessive excitability. These people often exhibit cyclic behavior. Their intensive activity can sharply decline. This is due to a decrease in mental strength or loss of interest. Such people differ from the rest in sharp and quick movements, as well as vivid expressions of feelings in facial expressions of speech. Slight sensitivity is observed in sanguine people. These people easily adapt to a changing environment. That is why external factors do not always have a negative impact on their behavior.
Phlegmatic people are distinguished by sensitive rigidity. Such people have a slow course of psychological processes. The phenomenon of excitation in phlegmatic people is balanced by strong inhibition. That is why such people are able to restrain their impulses.
Melancholic people are characterized by increased vulnerability and emotional sensitivity. They react very painfully to a sudden complication of the situation. In dangerous situations, they have a feeling of intense fear. In dealing with strangers, melancholic people feel very insecure.