Do whispering minds tingle alike? Exploring the relationship between ASMR-sensitivity, trait-ASMR, and trigger preference

Abstract

The Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) is described as a pleasant tingling sensation originating in the head and neck in response to specific audiovisual stimuli (triggers) with individuals self-classifying as ASMR-responders based on their experience of the phenomenon. There is great variability in the types of triggers that elicit ASMR across individuals, with previous attempts to categorise triggers encompassing multiple affective components across sensory domains. More recently, research indicates ASMR should be considered a personality construct, with traits falling on a spectrum regardless of ASMR-sensitivity. The current study recruited an extensive sample of ASMR viewers (n = 16,679) to investigate characteristics of trait-ASMR using psychometric properties of the ASMR-15 in self-classified ASMR-responders who either experienced ‘authentic’ ASMR where tingles originated in the head and neck or ‘non-authentic’ ASMR, where tingles originate in other bodily regions. Secondly, we explored group differences in trigger intensity by trait-ASMR and ASMR-sensitivity. K-means cluster analysis identified tripartite trait-ASMR categorisation (High/ Medium/ Low). These cluster analysis groups showed distinct profiles across the ASMR-15 subscales evidenced with medium effect sizes, whereas the difference based on authentic vs. non-authentic ASMR experience was a small effect. To identify trigger categorisation, principal component analyses revealed four key categories: Roleplay, Watching, Interpersonal care, and Tactile. Group differences by trait-ASMR grouping across the trigger categorisation revealed small to medium effects, whereas effect sizes by ASMR-sensitivity were predominantly small to negligible. This suggests we should conceptualize individual differences in ASMR experience as a trait on a spectrum rather than a dichotomous categorical variable since only trait classification accounted for individual differences in ASMR-propensity and trigger categorisation.