Sensitivity may refer to:

Science and technology

Natural sciences

Sensitivity (physiology) In physiology, a stimulus is a detectable change in the physical or chemical structure of an organism's internal or external environment. The ability of an organism or organ to detect external stimuli, so that an appropriate reaction can be mad ...

, the ability of an organism or organ to respond to external stimuli **

Sensory processing sensitivity Sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) is a temperamental or personality trait involving "an increased sensitivity of the central nervous system and a deeper cognitive processing of physical, social and emotional stimuli". The trait is characteri ...

in humans *

Sensitivity and specificity In medicine and statistics, sensitivity and specificity mathematically describe the accuracy of a test that reports the presence or absence of a medical condition. If individuals who have the condition are considered "positive" and those who do ...

, statistical measures of the performance of binary classification tests *

Allergic Allergies, also known as allergic diseases, refer a number of conditions caused by the hypersensitivity of the immune system to typically harmless substances in the environment. These diseases include hay fever, food allergies, atopic derm ...

sensitivity, the strength of a reaction to an allergen * The inverse of

resistance (ecology) In the context of ecological stability, resistance is the property of communities or populations to remain "essentially unchanged" when subject to disturbance. The inverse of resistance is sensitivity. Stability and disturbance Resistance is one ...

, the ability of populations to remain stable when subject to disturbance

Electronics

Sensitivity (electronics) The sensitivity of an electronic device, such as a communications system receiver, or detection device, such as a PIN diode, is the minimum magnitude of input signal required to produce a specified output signal having a specified signal-to-noise r ...

, the minimum magnitude of input signal required to produce a specified output signal ** Sensitivity of a

transducer A transducer is a device that converts energy from one form to another. Usually a transducer converts a signal in one form of energy to a signal in another. Transducers are often employed at the boundaries of automation, measurement, and cont ...

, the relationship between input and output power ***

Sensitivity (electroacoustics) The sensitivity of an electronic device, such as a communications system receiver, or detection device, such as a PIN diode, is the minimum magnitude of input signal required to produce a specified output signal having a specified signal-to-noise ra ...

Mathematics

Sensitivity (control systems) The controller parameters are typically matched to the process characteristics and since the process may change, it is important that the controller parameters are chosen in such a way that the closed loop system is not sensitive to variations in p ...

, variations in process dynamics and control systems *

Sensitivity analysis Sensitivity analysis is the study of how the uncertainty in the output of a mathematical model or system (numerical or otherwise) can be divided and allocated to different sources of uncertainty in its inputs. A related practice is uncertainty ana ...

, apportionment of the uncertainty in the output of a mathematical model among its inputs *

, statistical measures of the performance of binary classification tests

Other uses in science and technology

Sensitivity (explosives) In explosives engineering, sensitivity refers to the degree to which an explosive can be initiated by impact, heat, or friction. Current in-use standard methods of mechanical (impact and friction) senstivity determination differ by the sample pre ...

, the degree to which an explosive can be initiated by impact, heat or friction *

Film speed Film speed is the measure of a photographic film's sensitivity to light, determined by sensitometry and measured on various numerical scales, the most recent being the ISO system. A closely related ISO system is used to describe the relation ...

, photographic film's sensitivity to light

Music

* "Sensitivity" (Shapeshifters song), the fourth single from music group Shapeshifters * "Sensitivity" (song), a song by rhythm and blues singer Ralph Tresvant

Other uses

Information sensitivity Information sensitivity is the control of access to information or knowledge that might result in loss of an advantage or level of security if disclosed to others. Loss, misuse, modification, or unauthorized access to sensitive information can ...

, a property of information that may result in damage if disclosed *

Price sensitivity A good's price elasticity of demand (E_d, PED) is a measure of how sensitive the quantity demanded is to its price. When the price rises, quantity demanded falls for almost any good, but it falls more for some than for others. The price elastici ...

, in economics