HSP, Plus or ASP, the Anomalously Sensitive Person

The H.I.S.S. of the A.S.P.:

Understanding the Anomalously Sensitive Person

(Published June 1, 2003)

Are You an ASP?

Many people who are intrigued by the concept of the Anomalously Sensitive Person, once they have a basic understanding of it, then want to know their own status vis-à-vis ASPness. Sensitivities are more appropriately thought of as degrees on continua rather than as an anomalous/non-anomalous dichotomy-and understanding the specific individual sensitivities has considerably more utility than does the application of the "ASP" label. Nevertheless, human nature being what it is, this tendency to want a simple, straightforward, dichotomous answer is entirely understandable.

The version of the HISS used in this study was designed primarily for research purposes. With its 50 scored scales (many of them quite subtle), it is too long, it is too complex and its results are too subject to misinterpretation for it to be used in a casual manner. It could, however, be made available to clinicians after they have received a brief training in its use and interpretation.

If your curiosity has gotten the best of you, don't despair. An abbreviated version of the questionnaire is currently available to the general public and can be found elsewhere on this web site. Its reported scores for the first- and second- level Predispositions and Indicators scales very closely parallel those of the full scale version of the HISS.

Objective Criteria

Many people also want to know if there's a way-based on objective criteria alone-to determine if someone is an Anomalously Sensitive Person. The answer is "probably not," but there are six questions addressing objective data that, when considered together as a (arbitrary and artificial) scale, have a moderate degree of predictive reliability for sensitivities in general. The questions are:

• Is the person female?
• Is the person hypopigmented?
• Is the person Non-Right-Handed?
• Is the person's occupational category Artistic (fine arts, acting, music, writing, etc.), Investigative (science, legal, higher education, computer, etc.),or Social (human services, teaching, religion, etc.)?
• Was the person born as one of a set of twins/triplets/etc.?
• Does the person have an other-than-conventionally-heterosexual sexual orientation?

If the answers to all, or most, of these questions are affirmative, the person would probably score toward the high end of the sensitivities continua. Negative responses to most, or even all, of these questions, however, do not necessarily indicate than an individual would score toward the low end of the sensitivities continua.

There is nothing inherently "good" or "bad" about either high scores or low scores on the HISS. What is important is whether high levels of sensitivities or low levels of sensitivities are more appropriate to an individual's particular life circumstances and, if there is a mismatch, how that mismatch is handled. As previously discussed, high levels of sensitivities can serve an artist, inventor, or humanitarian well, because they can foster insight, intuition, attunement and creativity...but they can also lead to physiological or psychological difficulties. Conversely, low levels of sensitivity can be important to soldiers, law enforcement officers and emergency service personnel because they can serve as a buffer against stimuli that might otherwise be overwhelming...but they can also inhibit the appreciation of all the richness and fullness that life has to offer.

Some people say that they would like to be ASPs and some say that they wouldn't. In Western society, Anomalously Sensitive Persons have clearly been underdogs for the last few centuries, but the wheel continues to turn and it appears to be only a matter of time before they come into their own. The potentials inherent in ASPness are significant, but the life of an Anomalously Sensitive Person will, almost assuredly, continue to be a challenging one.

H.I.S.S. Questionnaire

Download the questionnaire using the link below, print it out, fill it in, and mail it along with your $15 payment (Payable to Headline Books), to:

The ASP Project
c/o Headline Books
P. O. Box 52
Terra Alta, WV 26764

H.I.S.S. Questionnaire - Adobe Acrobat Format
You can download Adobe Reader here.

If for any reason you are unable to complete the download:

• Write to us at the above address.
• E-mail us at ASPproject@headlinebooks.com - If you are unable to send mail by clicking this link, simply copy and paste it into your email application.,
• or Call us at (800) 570-5951 and we will send you a hard copy.