# Validation of the Pain and Sensitivity Reactivity Scale in Neurotypical Late Adolescents and Adults

## TL;DR

This study validates a new scale to measure pain and sensory reactivity in non-clinical adults and late adolescents.

## Contribution

The study introduces and validates the Pain and Sensitivity Reactivity Scale (PSRS) for use in neurotypical populations.

## Key findings

- The PSRS showed excellent psychometric properties and three confirmed first-order factor models.
- Sensory hyperreactivity was highly correlated with sensory over-responsivity and moderately with OCI-R subscales.
- Sensory hyporeactivity and hyperreactivity were moderately and positively correlated, with differences by gender and age.

## Abstract

Background: In recent years, there has been an increased interest in studying sensory responses to stimuli in both clinical and non-clinical populations. Sensory reactivity has been linked to restrictive and repetitive behaviors. However, few instruments have been designed to assess the dimensions of sensory hyporeactivity and pain in the general population. Methods: The psychometric properties of the Pain and Sensitivity Reactivity Scale (PSRS) were analyzed in a non-clinical sample of 1122 adolescents and adults (mean age = 22.39, SD = 7.32). Results: The PSRS exhibited excellent psychometric properties, and three first-order factor models were confirmed. The sensory hyperreactivity subscales were highly correlated with the sensory over-responsivity scales, whereas a moderate correlation was found between sensory hyperreactivity measured via the PSRS and OCI-R subscales. Furthermore, sensory hyporeactivity and hyperreactivity appear to be moderately and positively correlated. Differences were observed as a function of gender and age. Conclusions: PSRS may be a reliable measure for analyzing pain and sensory reactivity in neurotypical populations. Future research should include clinical samples and multiple informants.