Assessing Individual Variation in Personality and Empathy Traits in Self-Reported Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response

This study is the first to examine whether self-reported ASMR is associated with individual differences in personality characteristics compared to general population. To do so we administered the Big Five Inventory (BFI) and the Inter-Personal Reactivity Index (IRI) to a group of individuals reporting to experience ASMR and a matched control group. Our findings showed that ASMR self-reporters scored higher on Openness to Experience and lower on Conscientiousness measures of BFI. They also showed greater scores on Empathic Concern and Fantasizing subscale of IRI. These findings are discussed in the context of the personality profile found in synaesthesia, which has been recently suggested to be more prevalent among people reporting ASMR experiences.

Source: Multisensory research - May 24, 2017 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Agnieszka B. Janik McErlean and Michael J. Banissy Source Type: research