How do highly sensitive persons parent their adolescent children? The role of sensory processing sensitivity in parenting practices

Abstract

This research examines whether sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) in parents is associated with their parenting practices toward their adolescent children and whether attachment insecurity mediates the associations between SPS and parenting practices. One hundred twenty-one parent–adolescent dyads completed self-report questionnaires assessing parents’ SPS, parents’ adult attachment, and parenting practices. Results showed that SPS was positively associated with inconsistency, psychological intrusiveness, and attachment anxiety. Further, attachment anxiety mediated the association between parents’ SPS and harsh parenting and partially mediated the association between parents’ SPS and parental psychological intrusiveness. There is very little research on how highly sensitive individuals parent their children in general and none regarding the parenting of high-SPS individuals during challenging developmental periods such as their children’s adolescence. Findings suggest that parents high in SPS may experience this period as especially stressful and high SPS might contribute to the use of negative parenting. Interventions focused on regulating high-SPS parents’ stress and on facilitating parents in practicing separating their own and their children’s emotions could promote their use of more positive parenting practices.

The role of sensory processing sensitivity in the longitudinal associations between relationship qualities with parents and peers and externalizing behavior in adolescence

“…Even though sensory processing sensitivity of adolescents did not appear to interact with the parenting environment in our study, a recent study (Goldberg & Scharf, 2020) highlights the role that sensory processing sensitivity of parents could play in influencing the parent-adolescent relationship. Specifically, the study investigated the idea that parents with heightened sensory processing sensitivity may be more sensitive to the challenges posed by parenting a child in adolescence.…”

“…Specifically, the study investigated the idea that parents with heightened sensory processing sensitivity may be more sensitive to the challenges posed by parenting a child in adolescence. In line with their expectations, results show that heightened sensory processing sensitivity in parents was related to higher levels of inconsistency, psychological intrusiveness and attachment anxiety, and furthermore that the relationship between parents' sensory processing sensitivity and harsh parenting was mediated by attachment anxiety (Goldberg & Scharf, 2020). Future research may consider exploring sensory processing sensitivity not only in adolescents but also in their parents to determine the effects that heightened sensory processing sensitivity may have on parenting practices and how this in turn may affect adolescents' developmental outcomes.…”

The Relationship Between Sensory Processing and Attachment Patterns: A Scoping Review

“…In addition to the studies with nonclinical young adults and adults, four studies specifically used samples of parents or pregnant mothers (see Table 1). Sensory processing sensitivity was positively associated with attachment anxiety and avoidance in parents of young children (Branjerdporn et al, 2019) and only attachment anxiety in parents of adolescents (Goldberg & Scharf, 2020). In a longitudinal sample of mothers, more secure maternal–fetal attachment was associated with lower sensory sensitivity, lower sensory avoidance, lower registration, and higher sensory seeking (see Table 3).…”

The Predictive Effect of Parental Adult Attachment on Parent–Adolescent Attachment: The Mediating Role of Harsh Parenting

“…Harsh parenting may mediate the effects of parent attachment styles on parent–adolescent attachment. For example, mothers with adult anxiety use over-activation strategies to deal with intimate relationships and may demonstrate more controlling and interfering behaviors toward their adolescent children; notably, such behavioral patterns can easily lead to mother–adolescent relationship conflict (Adam et al, 2004 ; Selcuk et al, 2010 ), which has been related to abusive parenting by the mother (Goldberg and Scharf, 2020 ). Mothers who demonstrate maternal avoidance tend to adopt a deactivation strategy in rearing adolescents, and are more likely to ignore the needs of adolescents and demonstrate an apathetic coping style (Berlin et al, 2011 ; Mills-Koonce et al, 2011 ).…”