WHAT IS SOCIAL SENSITIVITY? - GEOGRAFÍA - 2026

The social sensitivity is the ability of an individual to identify, perceive and understand the signs and contexts in social interactions. It means to what extent you understand the feelings and thoughts of others and how familiar you are with the general knowledge of social norms.

Through the application of the concept of social sensitivity, people are able to know the feelings of the other. The fundamental principle of social sensitivity resides in the extensive knowledge of social norms.

For example, a socially sensitive person understands conversation cues and stops talking in order to listen to the other. The opposite would be an individual who only talks about himself, interrupts or talks about others, ignoring social cues to stop talking.

Social sensitivity has become a part of social intelligence and they share some similar characteristics. It is considered an important social skill, because it plays a prominent role in group performance.

Research shows that social sensitivity in a group is closely correlated with the level of collective intelligence, which is defined as a general ability of the group (not just one member of the group) to perform a wide range of tasks. In other words, if people are socially sensitive in a group, they collectively perform well at work.

Characteristics of people with social sensitivity

-They have a great imagination (they are creative).

-They are perceptive of the feelings of others.

-They are good listeners and tend to be warm and caring in their relationships.

-They are good at dealing with social relationships and adapt well in social situations.

-They accept people for who they are, with their differences.

-They have extensive knowledge of social rules and norms.

-They express deep concern about the appropriateness of their behavior and the behavior of others.

-They work with great passion.

-They are conscientious and compassionate.

-They are intuitive, careful and spiritual.

-Have deep and intense sensations.

-They respect and enjoy nature, art and music.

-They are objective and can see beyond what others see.

-They take responsibility for social problems.

-They are interested in world affairs.

-They seek to improve the mood of others.

-On the other hand, as a characteristic in work groups, socially sensitive people tend to open up new ideas, perceive correctly and respond to the needs of team members, creating a positive environment to produce new ideas, question work and share responsibilities.

Ways to manage social sensitivity skills

According to Elaine Aron's The Highly Sensitive Person's Survival Guide, people with social sensitivity must develop the ability to manage their skills. The reasons are given below.

-Emotionally, highly sensitive individuals are easily stimulated to a point where they may experience great pain or great joy. They can have the combination of an introvert and an extrovert, because in their personality traits they need themselves to focus, but they also like to connect with other people and with their environment.

-Highly sensitive people need time and space to be alone to process what they absorb. When it comes to sensations, they may have a low tolerance for noise or anything too loud, so it is convenient for them to connect with nature and do regular exercise, relaxation, meditation and other activities that go with their nature to calm down after the over stimulation.

-In addition, they have to learn to find a balance to give and receive love. It is important to realize that self-sacrifice that leads to emotional deprivation is unhealthy.

-And last but not least, these individuals have to find meaning in their life. All humanity wants it, but these people this is a real need. Their deepest desire is to help others be happy, and they can use their skills to bring out their creative side and make this world a better place for everyone, even in one small step.

Studies on social sensitivity

-According to Baldwin M. Camino (2010), genes that affect brain function can influence the adoption and formation of cultural norms and, in turn, culture can also shape the expression and selection of genes.

-According to the studies by Caspi (2002) and Kim-Cohen (2006), in the interaction between genes and the environment, it was observed that exposure to abuse or other mistreatment during childhood significantly increases the probability of participating in behaviors antisocial in adulthood.

-According to Fiske (1998), in collectivist cultures, relationships are durable due to social ties that are materialized by mutual obligations between members of the family, the clan, or religion. These relationships are so outstanding that the self is defined by them.

-Adams and Plaut (2003), ensure in their study that in individualistic cultures, where there is a high degree of focus on personal autonomy, individual needs often replace the needs of the group. Therefore, relationships are more transitory, which can lead to the perception that the individual is not a part of a social network.

-According to the research of Yamaguchi (1994), a greater sensitivity to the signals of rejection and a greater concern for the consequences of the same, could lead to the submission of the interest for the internal group, a hallmark of collectivism. This can encourage the objectification of social relationships in order to reduce the risk of losing one's social network.

References

1. Karen Combs (2010). Social Sensitivity: It's What Makes Groups Smart. CEB Blogs. Recovered from: cebglobal.com.
2. Baldwin M. Camino and Matthew D. Lieberman (2010). Collectivism, individualism and genetic markers of social sensitivity. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience. Recovered from: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.
3. Dmitry Sokolov (2016). What is Social Sensitivity. Pb Works. Recovered from: confocal-manawatu.pbworks.com.
4. Michelle Roya Rad (2012). Characteristics of Highly-Sensitive People. The Huffington Post. Recovered from: huffingtonpost.com.