Sensory Processing Sensitivity In Drug Addicted And Internet-Addicted People

Abstract

Phenomenon of sensitivity has always received a lot of critical attention, but there is no uniform view on its nature. Sensitivity is studied within neurophysiology, evolutionary biology, medical science, psychology, physiology. Studies of sensitivity in psychology are mostly based on the works of K. Jung, J. Gray, J. Myers, S. Maysgeir, E. Murphy, R. Dunn, K. Dunn, A. Hendzhum, A. Aron, E. Aron and D. Smollan. The present article is a study of sensitivity in drug- and Internet-addicts. 98 individuals suffering from drug addiction (49 males, 49 females, average age 31.5 ± 7.2) and 98 respondents without a drug addiction (average age 29.9 ± 7.3). For comparative analysis the following methods were employed: Highly Sensitive Person Scale (Russian version), Chen Internet Addiction Scale (CIAS) (adopted bt V. Malygin and K. Feklisov). The data showed that that people with drug addiction have the same sensitivity level as healthy people. Subjects with Internet addiction were characterized by higher sensitivity levels as compared with both healthy people and subjects with drug addiction. The results of the study have only partially confirmed our assumptions about the sensitivity of drug- and Internet-addicted subjects. This can be explained by underuse of HSPS methods in the studies of the types of subjects in question, as well as by the peculiarities of self-assessment methods with respect to their objectivity. These results play and important role in the formation of scientific ideas concerning the differences and similarities of behavioral and substance addictions.