RESEARCH PROJECT

Beautifully Sensitive: Art and Beauty Appreciation Intervention for Sensory Processing Sensitivity and Well-being

Lead Researcher

Mackenzie Trupp, Matthew Pelowski

The industrialized world is increasingly stimulating. Bright 24-hour lights, constant traffic noise, busy crowds, and an inundation of media conflict are now the norm rather than the exception. For approximately 20% of the population with a naturally amplified high trait Sensory Processing Sensitivity (SPS) such constant stimulation makes them more prone to overstimulation, negative environments, and stress-related problems such as burnout, depression, anxiety, fatigue, and poor emotion regulation skills. At the same time, differential susceptibility theory suggests that individuals high in SPS also benefit more from positive environments and interventions designed to prevent or ameliorate psychological symptoms. In this program, we aim to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention that helps individuals appreciate beauty in their environment.

More coming soon…