Family context in association with the development of child sensory processing sensitivity.

Abstract

Informed by the biological sensitivity to the context (BSC) theory, this multimethod, longitudinal study sought to examine how family context may be associated with the development of child sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) over a year. Participants were 235 young children (M age = 2.97 at the first measurement occasion, 55.3% were girls) and their parents (median annual household income: $55,000 to 74,999), who were followed for two annual measurement occasions. These children consisted of 56.2% White, 21.3% African American, and 16.2% mixed race. Child SPS was measured via behavioral observation within multiple laboratory tasks at both waves and exhibited moderate stability over time. A curvilinear association between environmental harshness and the change in child SPS emerged, which proved consistent with the U-shaped pattern hypothesized by the BSC theory. Children remain at similar levels of SPS over the year under low and high levels of environmental harshness but exhibited decreases in SPS under moderate levels of environmental harshness. A follow-up exploration for the developmental implication of SPS change showed that children with higher SPS benefited more from the supportive environment by developing greater cognitive and behavioral functioning.

The role of environmental sensitivity in the mental health of Syrian refugee children: a multi-level analysis

“…Firstly, based on the ICCs (Supplementary Table S8), self-reported sensitivity evinced proportionally more within-person than between-person (0.09) variance, suggesting lower trait stability over one year than has been previously documented [83]. Importantly, the stability of sensitivity in children appears to fluctuate in relation to the harshness of the environment [83] -an effect possibly complicated by the unpredictable refugee contextmaking it notably more challenging to identify stable associations. In future analyses, possible causes underpinning this high withinperson variability should be investigated.…”

Beyond for Better and for Worse: Expanding Environmental Sensitivity into a Post-Traumatic Growth perspective

“…Similarly, increased ES in adults predicts greater levels of anxiety and depression and lower life satisfaction in the context of poor nurturing environments and unfavourable childhood experiences (Booth et al, 2015;Liss et al, 2005) and empirical studies also showed that highly sensitive adults are more impacted by the exposure to negative media pictures (Rubaltelli et al, 2018). On the other hand, highly sensitive children benefit more from positive parenting , Li et al, 2021, and highly sensitive preadolescents and adolescents exceptionally benefit from psychological prevention programs (Ceccon et al, 2023;de Villiers et al, 2018;Nocentini et al, 2018;Pluess & Belsky, 2013;Pluess and Boniwell, 2015;Pluess et al, 2017). Similarly, highly sensitive employees are more responsive to positive job characteristics in terms of positive job attitudes (Vieregge et al, 2023).…”

Prenatal programming of environmental sensitivity

“…The stability of sensitivity across development has not been investigated in depth yet. Intriguingly, first evidence suggests that observer-rated sensitivity in three year old children can change within a year as a function of environmental quality [ 135 ], a result not inconsistent with Biological Sensitivity to Context thinking. Future studies should investigate to what degree prenatally programmed sensitivity is stable across subsequent developmental periods and identify the postnatal exposures that are likely to reverse or modify prenatally programmed environmental sensitivity.…”