AccScience Publishing / JCBP / Online First / DOI: 10.36922/JCBP025070011
Submit to JCBP
Cite this article
34
Download
795
Views
Journal Browser
Volume | Year
Issue
Search
Forthcoming Issue
Current Issue
View All
News and Announcements
View All
ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE

The mediating role of self-esteem in sensory processing sensitivity and affective dependence among adolescents and young adults

Jimmy Bordarie1†* ,  Anais Seite2† ,  Alizée Richally2 ,  Amandine Deloustal2 ,  Caroline Giraudeau3
Show Less
1 Department of Psychology, Qualité de vie et santé psychologique, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, University of Tours, Tours, France
2 Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, University of Tours, Tours, France
3 Department of Psychology, Psychologie des âges de la vie et adaptation, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, University of Tours, Tours, France
†These authors contributed equally to this work.
JCBP 2025, 3(3), 90–100; https://doi.org/10.36922/JCBP025070011
Received: 10 February 2025 | Revised: 13 March 2025 | Accepted: 14 March 2025 | Published online: 3 April 2025
© 2025 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ )
Download PDF
Cite
XML
Abstract

Sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) is an innate personality trait that affects approximately 30% of the population. It is characterized by more intense, complex, and rapid cognitive processing of stimuli, along with heightened emotional reactivity. This study examines the influence of SPS on self-esteem and affective dependence in adolescents and emerging adults, a critical developmental period marked by significant physical, psychological, emotional, and social changes. Adolescence is a sensitive developmental period, and self-esteem is strongly correlated with SPS during this period, with low self-esteem acting as a trigger for affective dependence. Hence, we aim to explore the relationship between these three variables. Our hypotheses were tested on 100 adolescents and young adults aged 15 – 20 years who completed an online questionnaire assessing SPS, self-esteem, and affective dependence. The results confirmed the influence of gender on sensitivity and self-esteem (p<0.01) and the impact of romantic relationship experience on affective dependence scores (p<0.05). The variables were significantly correlated (p<0.001). Sensitivity and self-esteem influenced affective dependence (p<0.001), and self-esteem played a mediating role between sensitivity and affective dependence. Our findings support the hypothesis that higher SPS is a vulnerability factor in the development of affective dependence. However, this study has some limitations, such as a small sample size, which limits generalizability. Therefore, further studies on a larger cohort can be conducted to validate these findings.

Keywords
High sensory processing sensitivity
Self-esteem
Affective dependence
Adolescents
Young adults
Funding
None.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
References
  1. Aron A, Aron EN. Self-expansion motivation and including other in the self. In: Duck S, editor. Handbook of Personal Relationships: Theory, Research and Interventions. New York: John Wiley & Sons; 1997. p. 251-270.

 

  1. Lionetti F, Aron A, Aron EN, Burns GL, Jagiellowicz J, Pluess M. Dandelions, tulips and orchids: Evidence for the existence of low-sensitive, medium-sensitive and high-sensitive individuals. Transl Psychiatry. 2018;8(1):1-11. doi: 10.1038/s41398-017-0090-6

 

  1. Bordarie J, Aguerre C, Bolteau L. A longitudinal approach of lockdown effects on quality of life and the expression of anxiety-depressive disorders according to sensory processing sensitivity. Psychol Health Med. 2021;27(10):2288-2299. doi: 10.1080/13548506.2021.1968012

 

  1. Brindle K, Moulding R, Bakker K, Nedeljkovic M. Is the relationship between sensory-processing sensitivity and negative affect mediated by emotional regulation? Aust J Psychol. 2015;67(4):214-221. doi: 10.1111/ajpy.12084

 

  1. Burgard SSC, Liber JM, Geurts SM, Koning IM. Youth sensitivity in a pandemic: The relationship between sensory processing sensitivity, internalizing problems, COVID-19 and parenting. J Child Fam Stud. 2022;31(6):1501-1510. doi: 10.1007/s10826-022-02243-y

 

  1. Iimura S. Highly sensitive adolescents: The relationship between weekly life events and weekly socioemotional well-being. Br J Psychol. 2021;112(4):1103-1129. doi: 10.1111/bjop.12505

 

  1. Arnett JJ. Emerging adulthood: What is it, and what is it good for? Child Dev Perspect. 2007;1(2):68-73. doi: 10.1111/j.1750-8606.2007.00016.x

 

  1. Schwartz SJ, Donnellan MB, Ravert RD, Luyckx K, Zamboanga BL. Identity development, personality, and well-being in adolescence and emerging adulthood. In: Shaver PR, Mikulincer M, editors. Handbook of Psychology. 2nd ed. New York: Wiley; 2012. p. 206-228. doi: 10.1002/9781118133880.hop206014

 

  1. Laursen B. Closeness and conflict in adolescent peer relationships: Interdependence with friends and romantic partners. In: Adams GR, Berzonsky MD, editors. The Company they Keep: Friendship in Childhood and Adolescence. New York: Cambridge University Press; 1996. p. 186-210.

 

  1. Sigelman CK. Life Span Human Development. 3rd ed. New York: Brooks/Cole Publishing Co.; 1999. p. 268.

 

  1. Orth U, Robins RW. The development of self-esteem. Curr Dir Psychol Sci. 2014;23(5):381-387. doi: 10.1177/0963721414547414

 

  1. Baryła-Matejczuk M, Bieniek J, Ślusarczyk A. Link between sensory-processing sensitivity and self-esteem using the example of a group of Polish adolescents. J Commun Behav Sci. 2021;2(2):5-18.

 

  1. Kibe C, Suzuki M, Hirano M, Boniwell I. Sensory processing sensitivity and culturally modified resilience education: Differential susceptibility in Japanese adolescents. PLoS One. 2020;15(9):e0239002. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0239002

 

  1. Crépel E. L’enfant Hypersensible: L’accompagner de la Naissance à L’Adolescence. Paris: Hatier Grand Public; 2022.

 

  1. Scantamburlo G, Pitchot W, Ansseau M. La dépendance affective. Rev Med Liege. 2013;68(5-6):239-245.

 

  1. Iancu I, Bodner E, Ben-Zion I. Self-esteem, dependency, self-efficacy and self-criticism in social anxiety disorder. Compr Psychiatry. 2015;58:165-171. doi: 10.1016/j.comppsych.2014.11.018

 

  1. Arbinaga F, Sierra MIM, Caraballo-Aguilar BM, et al. Jealousy, violence, and sexual ambivalence in adolescent students according to emotional dependency in the couple relationship. Children (Basel). 2021;8:993. doi: 10.3390/children8110993

 

  1. Pugliese E, Saliani AM, Mosca O, Maricchiolo F, Mancini F. When the war is in your room: A cognitive model of pathological affective dependence (PAD) and intimate partner violence (IPV). Sustainability. 2023;15(2):1624. doi: 10.3390/su15021624

 

  1. Jerome EM, Liss M. Relationships between sensory processing style, adult attachment, and coping. Pers Individ Differ. 2005;38(6):1341-1352. doi: 10.1016/j.paid.2004.08.016

 

  1. Zorlular M, Uzer T. Investigating the relationship between sensory processing sensitivity and relationship satisfaction: Mediating roles of negative affectivity and conflict resolution style. Curr Psychol. 2022;42(30):26504-26513. doi: 10.1007/s12144-022-03796-3

 

  1. Liss M, Timmel L, Baxley K, Killingsworth P. Sensory processing sensitivity and its relation to parental bonding, anxiety, and depression. Pers Individ Differ. 2005;39(8):1429-1439. doi: 10.1016/j.paid.2005.05.007

 

  1. Branjerdporn G, Meredith P, Strong J, Green M. Sensory sensitivity and its relationship with adult attachment and parenting styles. PLoS One. 2019;14(1):e0209555. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0209555

 

  1. Salem D. No Pain, no Gain? Attachment Anxiety, Sensory Processing Sensitivity, and Empathy in a Therapist Sample. [Dissertation]. Brooklyn: Long Island University; 2021.

 

  1. Bordarie J, Aguerre C, Bolteau L. Validation and study of psychometric properties of a French version of the Sensory- Processing Sensitivity scale (HSPS-27). Eur Rev Appl Psychol. 2022;72:100781. doi: 10.1016/j.erap.2022.100781

 

  1. Vallieres EF, Vallerand RJ. Traduction et validation canadienne-française de l’échelle de l’estime de soi de Rosenberg. Int J Psychol. 1990;25(3):305-316. doi: 10.1080/00207599008247865

 

  1. Sirvent-Ruiz CM, De La Villa Moral Jiménez M, Herrero J, Miranda-Rovés M, Díaz FJR. Concept of affective dependence and validation of an affective dependence scale. Psychol Res Behav Manag. 2022;15:3875-3888. doi: 10.2147/prbm.s385807

 

  1. Sternberg RJ. A triangular theory of love. Psychol Rev. 1986;93(2):119-135. doi: 10.1037/0033-295X.93.2.119

 

  1. Engel-Yeger B. Validating the adolescent/adult sensory profile and examining its ability to screen sensory processing difficulties among Israeli people. Br J Occup Ther. 2012;75(7):321-329. doi: 10.4276/030802212x13418284515839

 

  1. Machingura T, Kaur G, Lloyd C, et al. An exploration of sensory processing patterns and their association with demographic factors in healthy adults. Ir J Occup Ther. 2019;48(1):3-16. doi: 10.1108/ijot-12-2018-0025

 

  1. Kling KC, Hyde JS, Showers CJ, Buswell BN. Gender differences in self-esteem: A meta-analysis. Psychol Bull. 1999;125(4):470-500. doi: 10.1037/0033-2909.125.4.470

 

  1. Greene AL, Wheatley SM. I’ve got a lot to do and I don’t think I’ll have the time: Gender differences in late adolescents’ narratives of the future. J Youth Adolesc. 1992;21(6):667-686. doi: 10.1007/BF01538738

 

  1. Ueno Y, Takahashi A, Oshio A. Relationship between sensory-processing sensitivity and age in a large cross-sectional Japanese sample. Heliyon. 2019;5(10):e02508. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2019.e02508

 

  1. Galliher RV, Rostosky SS, Welsh DP, Kawaguchi MC. Power and psychological well-being in late adolescent romantic relationships. Sex Roles. 1999;40(9-10):689-710. doi: 10.1023/A:1018804617443

 

  1. Petruccelli F, Diotaiuti P, Verrastro V, et al. Affective dependence and aggression: An exploratory study. Biomed Res Int. 2014;2014:805469. doi: 10.1155/2014/805469

 

  1. Bariaud F. Introduction: The rise of adolescent psychology. Enfance. 2012;3:251-266. doi: 10.4074/S0013754512003023
Share
Back to top
Journal of Clinical and Basic Psychosomatics, Electronic ISSN: 2972-4414 Print ISSN: 3060-8562, Published by AccScience Publishing
We use cookies on our website to ensure you get the best experience.
Read more about our cookies here
Accept