Sensory sensitivity and its relationship with adult attachment and parenting styles

Abstract

Parenting styles vary in levels of both warmth and control, with evidence that type of parenting behavior is linked with social-emotional and other developmental outcomes for children. There are well-established associations between adult attachment and parenting styles. Given emerging evidence that people with different attachment patterns vary in how they receive and modulate sensory information, there are potential implications for parenting which have rarely received research attention. This cross-sectional study investigates the links between parenting style and parental sensory sensitivity, and the possible mediating role of parental sensory sensitivity in the relationship between adult attachment and parenting styles. A convenience sample of 155 parents of children aged 4–12 years old completed an online survey measuring: adult attachment (Experiences in Close Relationships-Modified 16-item Scale), sensory sensitivity (Highly Sensitive Persons Scale-Shortened Version), and parenting styles (Parenting Styles and Dimensions Questionnaire). Correlation, regression and mediation analyses were conducted. Analyses revealed that parents who reported more attachment insecurity also reported higher levels of parental sensory sensitivity, and more authoritarian and/or permissive (non-optimal) parenting styles. Parental sensory sensitivity was found to fully mediate the relationship between attachment avoidance and permissive parenting, and to partially mediate the relationship between attachment anxiety and both authoritarian and permissive parenting. This study represents the first quantitative evidence for associations between parental sensory sensitivity and parenting styles, and the mediating effect of parental sensory sensitivity on the known relationship between attachment insecurity and parenting. Awareness of a parent’s level of sensory sensitivity, in addition to his/her attachment style, may assist in developing effective strategies to meet both the parent’s and child’s needs and support the parent-child relationship.

Anxious-Preoccupied Attachment to Father: Does Permissive Parenting Contributed?

“…Good relationship with caregivers will make a child have secure attachment and develop good interaction with other people, which leads them to have a good social adjustment (Fatmawati, 2020). Conversely, if the relationship formed tends to develop insecure attachments, it will arise the discomfort of having closeness and tend to be disinterested in building social relationship with other people (Ching & Tak, 2017;Branjerdporn, et al, 2019). Anxious-preoccupied attachment style, for example.…”

“…Children with low attention level (permissive parenting) from their fathers are predicting to have an insecure attachment (Ching & Tak, 2017;Branjerdporn, Meredith, Strong, & Green, 2019). Anxious-preoccupied attachment is one type of insecure attachments where the people often feel emotional hunger, instead of feeling real love or trust (Ching & Tak, 2017).…”

Sensory processing of women diagnosed with genito-pelvic pain/penetration disorder: a research proposal

“…Individuals with SOR experience non-painful sensations as abnormally irritating, unpleasant or painful [7,12], which can result in defensive behaviour, such as tactile defensiveness. Atypical sensory processing responses have significant implications for quality of life (QoL) [11,[13][14][15], pain [6,[16][17][18][19], socio-emotional aspects [20][21][22][23][24], interpersonal relationships [25][26][27][28], and intimacy [2,29].…”

Sensory processing of women diagnosed with genito-pelvic pain/penetration disorder: a research proposal

“…tactile defensiveness. Atypical sensory processing responses have significant implications for quality of life (QoL) [12][13][14][15], pain [6,[16][17][18][19], socioemotional aspects [20][21][22][23][24], interpersonal relationships [25][26][27][28] and intimacy [2,29].…”