Personality-related characteristics of artists creating Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) videos and their role in evoking ASMR sensation in others

Research regarding the Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR), a pleasant tingling experience especially perceived on the skin of the scalp and neck and elicited by certain audiovisual stimuli, has so far focused on the consumers of ASMR content. In this study, the perspective was switched to the ASMR artists, focusing on their personality and ability to trigger ASMR in other people. N = 132 predominantly student participants watched 19 ASMR videos from different ASMR YouTubers (who interacted with the same stimulus) with a varying number of subscribers. The evoked ASMR sensation and the perceived personality of the ASMR artists was assessed. Moreover, n = 152 ASMR YouTubers and n = 138 Walking Tour YouTubers completed several personality and mental health questionnaires, which were also filled out by the 132 predominantly student participants. While the ASMR YouTuber's number of subscribers does not seem to play a role in triggering ASMR in others, the perception of the ASMR YouTuber as sympathetic, relaxed, close, empathic and agreeable is correlated with ASMR sensation. With regard to their personality, ASMR YouTubers consistently differ to some extent from other (Walking Tour) YouTubers (openness to experience, empathy) and a predominantly student sample (openness to experience). The notion that certain perceived personality traits of ASMR YouTubers might have an influence on the viewer's ASMR sensation adds to the knowledge of which factors are important in triggering ASMR in other people.