Social success in a noisy world: exploring the relationship between decreased sound tolerance and social profiles

Humans are inherently social creatures, yet considerable variability exists in our social behaviours. It is unclear what factors contribute to this variability. Given the complex and abundant sensory stimuli present in our daily environments, differences in sensory processing abilities may contribute to the variation observed in social behaviours. Individual differences in sensory processing may have significant effects on an individual's capacity to navigate social settings and may influence the development and expression of social competence. Existing literature also suggests that it is common for individuals with one form of sensory processing difference, Decreased Sound Tolerance (DST), to engage in social avoidance behaviours to mitigate exposure to distressing sounds. However, limited research explores the potential relationship between DST severity and social competence. Therefore, this study investigated the relationship between DST and social competence. As such, a sample of 2095 undergraduate students completed an online survey designed to assess their DST severity and social competence. Initially, to parse the variability in social competence, scores on the multidimensional social competence scale (MSCS), underwent a k-means cluster analysis. This analysis yielded four unique social profiles based on seven social competence domains (e.g., social motivation, emotion regulation etc.). Misophonia and hyperacusis questionnaires were then used to evaluate differences in DST across the social profiles. The results indicated varying severity levels of both misophonia and hyperacusis across the four social profiles, with the individuals who reported the highest social competence exhibiting the lowest levels of DST. These findings highlight the potential relationship between sensory processing differences, such as DST, and social functioning.