Page 96 - JCBP-3-3

Journal of Clinical and

Basic Psychosomatics

ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE
The mediating role of self-esteem in sensory

processing sensitivity and affective dependence
among adolescents and young adults

2†
2
2
Jimmy Bordarie 1† *, Anais Seite , Alizée Richally , Amandine Deloustal , and
Caroline Giraudeau 3
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

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
† These authors contributed equally
to this work. in adolescents and emerging adults, a critical developmental period marked by
significant physical, psychological, emotional, and social changes. Adolescence is
*Corresponding author: a sensitive developmental period, and self-esteem is strongly correlated with SPS
Jimmy Bordarie
(jimmy.bordarie@univ-tours.fr) 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
Citation: Bordarie J, Seite A,
Richally A, Deloustal A, hypotheses were tested on 100 adolescents and young adults aged 15 – 20 years
Giraudeau C. The mediating role of who completed an online questionnaire assessing SPS, self-esteem, and affective
self-esteem in sensory processing dependence. The results confirmed the influence of gender on sensitivity and self-
sensitivity and affective dependence
among adolescents and young esteem (p<0.01) and the impact of romantic relationship experience on affective
adults. J Clin Basic Psychosom. dependence scores (p<0.05). The variables were significantly correlated (p<0.001).
2025;3(3):90-100. Sensitivity and self-esteem influenced affective dependence (p<0.001), and self-
doi: 10.36922/JCBP025070011
esteem played a mediating role between sensitivity and affective dependence.
Received: February 10, 2025 Our findings support the hypothesis that higher SPS is a vulnerability factor in the
Revised: March 13, 2025 development of affective dependence. However, this study has some limitations,
such as a small sample size, which limits generalizability. Therefore, further studies
Accepted: March 14, 2025
on a larger cohort can be conducted to validate these findings.
Published online: April 3, 2025
Copyright: © 2025 Author(s). Keywords: High sensory processing sensitivity; Self-esteem; Affective dependence;
This is an Open-Access article
distributed under the terms of the Adolescents; Young adults
Creative Commons Attribution
License, permitting distribution,
and reproduction in any medium,
provided the original work is
properly cited. 1. Introduction
Publisher’s Note: AccScience Sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) has been a rapidly expanding area of research since
Publishing remains neutral with the early work of Aron and Aron in 1997. Considered an innate temperamental trait,
1
regard to jurisdictional claims in
published maps and institutional SPS enables individuals to cope with environmental stressors and is believed to affect
2
affiliations. between 15% and 30% of the population. Individuals with higher sensory sensitivity
1
Volume 3 Issue 3 (2025) 90 doi: 10.36922/JCBP025070011