Development of the Japanese Version of Highly Sensitive Child Scale for Adolescence (HSCS-A)

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to develop the Japanese version of the Highly Sensitive Child Scale for Adolescence (HSCS-A) and examine its validity and reliability. The original scale was developed to measure individual sensory processing sensitivity from childhood to adolescence, employing the framework of Differential Susceptibility Theory. The participants of this study were 942 Japanese students (in 7th to 10th grades); of these, 44% were female and 56% were male students. The exploratory factor analysis suggested the three-factor structure of the HSCS-A with Ease of Excitation (EOE), Aesthetic Sensitivity (AES), and Low Sensitivity Threshold (LST) fits better with a bifactor model, including an orthogonal general sensitivity factor, than a three-factor model. Construct validity was tested in reference to personality and affectivity, with the results suggesting its discriminant validity; further analysis also confirmed sufficient internal consistency. Overall results suggested that the HSCS-A is a valid scale for measuring adolescent sensitivity.