Sensitiviteten

Sensitivitet is a broad term that can refer to a person's or system's degree of responsiveness to external stimuli. In psychology, sensitivity often relates to how easily an individual is affected by their environment, emotions, or social interactions. Highly sensitive individuals may experience emotions more intensely and be more perceptive of subtle cues, which can sometimes lead to overstimulation or distress. This trait is sometimes referred to as sensory processing sensitivity.

In a scientific context, sensitivity describes the ability of a measuring instrument or experimental setup to detect small changes or quantities. For example, a sensitive thermometer can detect minute variations in temperature. In medical diagnostics, sensitivity refers to the proportion of actual positives that are correctly identified by a test, meaning a highly sensitive test is good at detecting the presence of a condition when it is actually there, minimizing false negatives.

The concept of sensitivity also appears in various other fields. In economics, it might describe how responsive a market is to changes in factors like price or demand. In environmental science, it can refer to how vulnerable an ecosystem is to disturbances like pollution or climate change. Regardless of the specific domain, sensitivity fundamentally addresses the degree to which something reacts or is affected by external influences.