The Sensory Perception Quotient for Adults (SPQ)

Below is a list of statements. Please read each statement very carefully and rate how
strongly you agree or disagree by selecting the appropriate option opposite each
statement.

Strongly Agree Disagree Strongly

Agree Disagree
1 I would notice if someone added 5 grains of salt to my
cup of water.
2 I would be able to distinguish different people by their
smell.
3 I wouldn’t notice if someone added a spoonful of sugar
to my tea.
4 I wouldn’t be afraid of hurting myself when falling off
my bike at high speed.
5 I wouldn’t be able to detect the motion of the blades of
a rotating fan even when it is at minimum speed.
6 The sound of a piano and a violin playing the same note
seem very similar to me.
7 I would be able to detect if a strawberry was ripe by
smell alone.
8 I would be able to distinguish milk chocolate and dark
chocolate by their taste alone.
9 I cannot tolerate hot showers (above 40°C / 105°F).
10 I wouldn’t need an anaesthetic to cope with a dental
procedure, such as a cavity-filling.
11 I would have to wait for 10 minutes for a hot drink to
cool down before swallowing it, otherwise it would be
too hot for me.
12 I would be able to visually detect the change in
brightness of a light each time a dimmer control is
moved one notch.
13 I wouldn’t be able to detect large objects, such as
parked cars, clearly on a dark night.
14 I would notice if someone added 5 drops of lemon juice
to my cup of water.
15 I would be the last person to detect if something was
burning.
16 I wouldn’t be able to feel the vibrations from loud music
if I was sitting next to the loud speaker (e.g. at a
concert).
17 I wouldn’t be able to feel a small volume change in
music as a difference in vibration on my skin.

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Agree Disagree
18 I can’t hear the TV when it is very quiet, even when
other people can.
19 I would be able to hear a leaf move if blown by the wind
on a quiet street.
20 I wouldn’t be able to taste the difference between two
pieces of dark chocolate.
21 I would be able to taste the difference between two
brands of salty potato chips/crisps.
22 When people are talking the words seem to merge
together.
23 I can only look at bright colours for a brief period of
time.
24 I would lose my balance very easily if I was standing on
one foot with my eyes closed.
25 I wouldn’t be able to smell a barbecue from 60 feet (20
metres) away.
26 I can’t spin round and round without falling over.
27 I wouldn’t notice a 10 degree difference in temperature
of the weather.
28 I can drink tea/coffee “straight”, without needing to add
milk or sugar.
29 I can’t hear the bass in music.
30 I would be able to smell the difference between freshly
cut grass and uncut grass.
31 I wouldn’t be able to feel the label at the back of my
shirt even if I thought about it.
32 I can hear electricity humming in the walls.
33 I notice the flickering of a desktop computer even when
it is working properly.
34 I wouldn’t be able to tell if milk is off simply by smelling
it.
35 I would be able to notice a tiny change (e.g. 1 degree) in
the temperature of the weather.
36 I would be able to feel a one millimetre cut in my skin.
37 I would be able to see the individual blades in a rotating
fan even if it was at maximum speed.
38 I would be able to tell the weight difference between
two different coin sizes on the palm of my hand, if my
eyes were closed.
39 I wouldn’t get dizzy on a carousel/merry-go-round, even
at high speed.
40 I can’t see written words on a page that other people
can see.

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41 I would be able to distinguish between two oranges
purely by their taste.
42 I couldn’t distinguish a familiar person and a stranger by
their smell.
43 I couldn’t detect if bread is stale purely by its smell.
44 I can’t tell if my clothes are clean or dirty by smell alone.
45 I would be able to detect the sound of a vacuum cleaner
from any room in a two-storey building.
46 I wouldn’t notice the difference between even and
uneven ground when driving over it sitting in the back
seat of a car.
47 I would be able to drink a cup of boiling water straight
after it had been poured from the kettle.
48 I couldn’t tell two types of green apples apart purely
from their colour.
49 I would be able to distinguish between an old and a new
book by their smell.
50 I would be able to read a street sign from a distance of
100 feet (30 metres).
51 I can’t tell if cars passing me on the street are going at
different speeds.
52 I would be able to notice if someone added 5 grains of
sugar to my glass of water.
53 I would have difficulty seeing a single leaf clearly even
on a tree that is close up.
54 I wouldn’t taste if someone added a whole teaspoon of
salt to my glass of water.
55 I would be able to feel the elastic holding up my socks if
I stop and thought about it.
56 I can’t taste the difference between ripe and non-ripe
fruit.
57 I would be able to stand on one foot for fifteen seconds
without wobbling.
58 I would be able to taste the difference between
apparently identical pieces of candy.
59 I notice the weight and pressure of a hat on my head.
60 I would feel if a single hair touched the back of my hand.
61 If I was walking along, I would be able to feel a passing
truck’s vibrations even if my eyes were closed.
62 I would be able to smell the smallest gas leak from
anywhere in the house.
63 I wouldn’t notice if someone changed their perfume, by
smell alone.

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64 I would be able to tell when an elevator/lift started
moving.
65 I can hear dog whistles very easily in the park.
66 I wouldn’t taste the difference between different types
of lettuce leaves.
67 I couldn’t taste if there were two slices of lemon in my
glass of water if I was drinking it with my eyes closed.
68 I can’t go out in bright sunlight without sunglasses.
69 I would be able to read small print, such as a serial
number on the back of a DVD, at 10 feet (3 metres)
away.
70 I get motion sickness easily (e.g., car sickness or sea
sickness).
71 I would be able to feel a change in the temperature of a
cup of coffee after it had sat for 1 minute.
72 I can’t hear very low frequency sounds, such as low
voices.
73 I would be the first to hear if there was a fly in the
room.
74 If I look at a pile of blue sweaters in a shop that are
meant to be identical, I would be able to see differences
between them.
75 I wouldn’t detect a new smell in my house instantly
before anyone else.
76 I have perfect pitch: e.g. I could repeat a musical tone
without any cue.
77 I would be able to bite into a lemon without any
problems.
78 I wouldn’t need to wear a coat in the winter, even when
it is zero degrees outside.
79 I wouldn’t be able to match the colour of a sweater in
the shop with the colour of my trousers at home.
80 I wouldn’t hear every single note when listening to
music.
81 I would be able to smell the difference between most
men and women.
82 I choose to wear muted colours.
83 I listen to music at minimum loudness.
84 I would be able to hear each note in a chord even if
there were 10 notes.
85 I close curtains to avoid bright lights.
86 I wouldn’t be able to hear differences in sound if the
same instrument played the same note at different
times.

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Agree Disagree
87 I would be able to distinguish two brands of coffee by
their smell, even with my eyes closed.
88 I can see dust particles in the air in most environments.
89 I wouldn’t be able to taste the difference between two
brands of tomato sauce if they had different
concentrations of salt.
90 I would be able to smell the smallest amount of burning
from anywhere in the house.
91 If my mobile phone was vibrating in my pocket I would
be quick to sense it.
92 I find it difficult to see individual stars on a clear night.

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