One raw total, with source and context
Read what the full published SPQ total summarizes, how 44 reverse keys work, why missing information stays missing, and how to discuss a concrete sensory need without a type label.
The source total ranges from 0 to 276 after 44 reversals. Lower totals indicate greater self-reported sensitivity in these statements; this guide has no private score, diagnostic cutoff, percentage sensitivity or objective performance result.
What the total summarizes
The full published SPQ contains 92 statements about sensory experiences. Some concern noticing a faint input, others distinguishing two inputs, and others discomfort or tolerance. A total combines agreement with those particular statements after the source key is applied. It does not show that your eyes, hearing, balance or pain response have been tested. Two people can have the same total and very different experiences. Keep one or two actual examples beside the number rather than using it as a complete sensory identity.
Why agreement is not always scored in the same direction
The four source anchors are Strongly Agree 0, Agree 1, Disagree 2 and Strongly Disagree 3. The current official 92-item key reverses 44 statements by replacing a raw response with 3 minus that response. For instance, item 1 at raw 1 contributes 1, while item 3 at raw 1 contributes 2. An invented complete pattern of Agree on every statement therefore gives 48 × 1 + 44 × 2 = 136. This is an arithmetic example, not a recommended response or a moderate-sensitivity category. The full possible raw-total range is 0–276; the source direction is lower total, greater reported sensitivity.
Unscored means the total is unavailable
The website adds an unscored choice for uncertainty or a decision not to answer. It requires all 92 responses to be numeric before showing a personal total. An unscored response is not disagreement, zero sensitivity or a zero contribution. It is not replaced by the average of the other answers, and a partial sum is not scaled up. An all-unscored attempt can still finish and show this entire guide. The added option and strict completeness policy are website choices, not evidence that this online edition or its Chinese translation has been validated.
Keep the source statements in context
The published bank includes hypothetical statements about heat, pain, movement and unusual sensory distinctions. Answer from existing experience or knowledge of yourself; do not attempt the described actions as experiments. Familiarity, the environment and the conditions under which you usually notice something can affect a response. The score does not establish a sensory threshold, perfect pitch, an autism diagnosis or a clinical cause. It does not rank people as better observers or decide whether someone needs care. Distress or difficulty in daily activities can be discussed on its own terms, regardless of whether a total is available.
Start with a specific need in a specific setting
Imagine a desk lamp produces glare while you read. A useful request is “The light at this angle makes reading uncomfortable for me. Could we try turning the shade or moving the lamp?” That request does not need a low score or agreement about a sensory type. Change one reversible feature, check the actual result and ask anyone sharing the space what they need. A different person may prefer more light. The aim is a workable arrangement rather than proving who is more sensitive. This total does not select jobs, judge relationships or replace a practical discussion of access needs.
Original source, key and working translation
Teresa Tavassoli, Rosa A. Hoekstra and Simon Baron-Cohen (2014), The Sensory Perception Quotient (SPQ): development and validation of a new sensory questionnaire for adults with and without autism, Molecular Autism, 5:29, doi:10.1186/2040-2392-5-29. © 2014 Tavassoli et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. The original published Table 4 is used under CC BY 2.0. The current ARC 92-item scoring document supplies the 44 reverse keys; the printed table marks 42 items in italics, with items 6 and 53 differing. This edition follows that explicit current key and does not silently combine the separate 35-item download. FermatMind adds a new, unvalidated Simplified Chinese working translation, web presentation, unscored response and explanatory content. No original-author endorsement or additional rights warranty is implied.