Growing evidence exists regarding the relationship between sensory processing and affective disorders. However, most of this evidence relates to children. This study aimed to explore the relationship between positive/negative affect and sensory processing patterns as expressed in daily situations among healthy adults.
Procedure:
Two hundred and thirteen healthy individuals aged 18–50 years completed the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile (AASP) and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS).
Results:
Negative affect correlated positively with Sensory Sensitivity, Sensation Avoiding and Low Registration. Positive affect correlated with Sensation Seeking.
Conclusion:
Sensory processing patterns might be related to the person's affect. In practical terms, this relationship among typical individuals suggests that people could benefit from knowledge about the impact of their sensory processing patterns on everyday life or, in some cases, from occupational therapy intervention. Nevertheless, further studies are needed to elucidate this relationship and its impacts on participation, quality of life and wellbeing.
AbbeyAAndrewsFM (1985) Modeling the psychological determinants of life quality. Social Indicators Research, 16(1), 1–34.
2.
AhnRRMillerLJMilbergerSMcIntoshD (2004) Prevalence of parents' perceptions of sensory processing disorders among kindergarten children. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 58(3), 287–93.
3.
BelaiseCFavaGAMarksIM (2005) Alternatives to debriefing and modifications to cognitive behavior therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatic, 74(4), 212–17.
4.
Ben-ZurH (2002) Coping, affect and aging: The roles of mastery and self-esteem. Personality and Individual Differences, 32(2), 357–72.
5.
BleichAVAttiasJFurmanV (1996) Effect of repeated visual traumatic stimuli on the event related P3 brain potential in post-traumatic stress disorder. International Journal of Neuroscience, 85(1–2), 45–55.
6.
BrownC (2002) What is the best environment for me? A sensory processing perspective. Occupational Therapy in Mental Health, 17(3), 115–25.
7.
BrownCDunnW (2002) Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile manual. San Antonio: The Psychological Corporation.
8.
BrownCTollefsonNDunnWCromwellRFilionD (2001) The Adult Sensory Profile: Measuring patterns of sensory processing. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 55(1), 75–82.
9.
BrownRIBrownPMBayerMB (1994) A quality of life model: New challenges arising from a six year study. In: GoodeD, ed. Quality of life for persons with disabilities. Cambridge, MA: Brookline, 39–56.
10.
Case-SmithJButcherLReedL (1998) Parents' report of sensory responsiveness and temperament in preterm infants. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 52(7), 547–55.
11.
CaspiA (2000) The child is father of the man: Personality continuities from childhood to adulthood. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 78(1), 158–72.
12.
CostaPTMcCraeRR (1987) Personality assessment in psychosomatic medicine: Value of a trait taxonomy. Advances in Psychosomatic Medicine, 17, 71–82.
13.
CrawfordJRHenryJD (2004) The positive and negative affect schedule (PANAS): Construct validity, measurement properties and normative data in a large non-clinical sample. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 43(3), 245–65.
14.
DanielsD (2003) The relationship between sensory processing and temperament in young children.Doctoral dissertation. Lawrence, KS: University of Kansas.
15.
DenolletJDe VriesJ (2006) Positive and negative affect within the realm of depression, stress and fatigue: The two-factor distress model of the Global Mood Scale (GMS). Journal of Affective Disorders, 91(2–3), 171–80.
16.
DienerELarsenRJLevineSEmmonsRA (1985) Intensity and frequency: Dimensions underlying positive and negative affect. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 48(5), 1253–65.
17.
DunnW (1997) The impact of sensory processing abilities on the daily lives of young children and their families: A conceptual model. Infant and Young Children, 9(4), 23–35.
18.
DunnW (2001) The sensations of everyday life: Empirical, theoretical, and pragmatic considerations. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 55(6), 608–20.
19.
DunnW (2007) Supporting children to participate successfully in everyday life by using sensory processing knowledge. Infants and Young Children, 20(2), 84–101.
20.
Engel-YegerBDunnW (2011) The relationship between sensory processing difficulties and anxiety level of healthy adults. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 74(5), 210–16.
21.
FolkmanS (1997) Positive psychological states and coping with severe stress. Social Science and Medicine, 45(8), 1207–21.
22.
FredricksonBL (2001) The role of positive emotions in positive psychology: The broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions. American Psychology, 56(3), 218–26.
FredricksonBLTugadeMMWaughCELarkinGR (2003) What good are positive emotions in crises? A prospective study of resilience and emotions following the terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11th, 2001. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84(2), 365–76.
25.
GoldsmithHHRothbartMK (1991) Contemporary instruments for assessing early temperament by questionnaire and in the laboratory. In: StrelauJAngleitnerA, eds. Explorations in temperament. New York: Plenum Press, 249–72.
26.
JeromeEMLissM (2005) Relationships between sensory processing style, adult attachment, and coping. Personality and Individual Differences, 38(6), 1341–52.
27.
KingGLawMKingSHurleyPHannaSKertoyMRosenbaumP (2006) Measuring children's participation in recreation and leisure activities: Construct validation of the CAPE and PAC. Health and Development, 33(1), 28–39.
28.
KinnealeyMFuiekM (1999) The relationship between sensory defensiveness, anxiety, depression and perception of pain in adults. Occupational Therapy International, 6(3), 195–206.
29.
KinnealeyMOliverBWilbargerP (1995) A phenomenological study of sensory defensiveness in adults. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 49(5), 444–51.
30.
KoenigK (2003) Behavioral responsiveness: The relationship between temperament and sensory processing.American Occupational Therapy Association National Meeting, Washington, DC. Bethesda, MD: AOTA.
31.
LaneSJ (2002) Sensory modulation. In: BundyACLaneSJMurrayEA, eds. Sensory integration: Theory and practice. 2nd ed. Philadelphia: FA Davis, 101–22.
32.
LastCGHersenM (1988) Handbook of anxiety disorders. New York: Pergamon Press.
33.
MillerLJLaneSL (2000) Towarda consensus interminologyinsensory integration theory and practice, part 1: Taxonomy of neurophysiological processes. Sensory Integration Special Interest Section Quarterly, 23(1), 1–4.
34.
MillerLJAnzaloneMELaneSLCermakSAOstenET (2007) Concept evolution in sensory integration: A proposed nosology for diagnosis. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 61(2), 135–40.
35.
MorganCAGrillonC (1999) Abnormal mismatch negativity in women with sexual assault-related posttraumatic stress disorder. Biological Psychiatry, 45(7), 827–32.
36.
NäätänenRAlhoK (1995) Mismatch negativity –A unique measure of sensory processing in audition. International Journal of Neuroscience, 80(1–4), 317–37.
37.
NealJAEdelmanRJGlachanM (2002) Behavioral inhibition and symptoms of anxiety and depression: Is there a specific relationship with social phobia?British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 41(4), 361–74.
38.
OstirGVSmithPMSmithDOttenbacherKJ (2005) Reliability of the positive and negative affect schedule (PANAS) in medical rehabilitation. Clinical Rehabilitation, 19(7), 767–69.
39.
PfeifferBKinnealeyMReedCHerzbergG (2005) Sensory modulation and affective disorder in children with Asperger syndrome. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 59(3), 335–45.
40.
PohlPSDunnWBrownC (2003) The role of sensory processing in the everyday lives of older adults. Occupational Therapy Journal of Research, 23(3), 99–106.
41.
ReichJWilliamsJ (2003) Exploring the properties of habits and routines in daily life. Occupational Therapy Journal of Research, 23(2), 48–56.
42.
RothbartMKJonesLB (1999) Temperament: Developmental perspectives. In: GallimoreRBernheimerLWeisnerT, eds. Developmental perspectives on children with high-incidence disabilities. The LEA series on special education and disability. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum, 33–53.
43.
RothbartMKAhadiSAEvansDE (2000a) Temperament and personality: Origins and outcomes. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 78(1), 122–35.
44.
RothbartMDerryberryDHershyK (2000b) Stability of temperament in childhood: Laboratory infant assessment to parent report at seven years. In: MolfeseVMolfeseD, eds. Temperament and personality development across the life span. London: Erlbaum, 85–140.
45.
RothbartMKAhadiSAHersheyKLFisherP (2001) Investigations of temperament at 3–7 years: The children's behavior questionnaire. Child Development, 72(5), 1394–408.
46.
RussellJACarrollJM (1999) On the bipolarity of positive and negative affect. Psychological Bulletin, 125(1), 3–30.
47.
RyffCDSingerB (1998) The contours of positive human health. Psychological Inquiry, 9(1), 1–28.
48.
SimeonssonRJLeonardiMLollarDBjorck-AkessonEHollenwegerJMartinuzziA (2003) Applying the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) to measure childhood disability. Disability and Rehabilitation, 25(11–12), 602–10.
49.
SlangerERudestamKE (1997) Motivation and disinhibition in high risk sports: Sensation seeking and self efficacy. Journal of Research in Personality, 31(3), 355–74.
50.
ThomasAChessS (1977) Temperament and development. New York: Brunner/Mazel.
51.
Von KänelREggerESchmidJPSchmidWalker RSanerH (2005) Subclinical depression and anxiety: Effect on exercise capacity and body mass index during cardiac rehabilitation. European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation, 12(3), 289.
52.
WatsonDTellegenA (1985) Toward a consensual structure of mood. Psychological Bulletin, 98(2), 219–35.
53.
WatsonDClarkLATellegenA (1988) Development and validation of brief measures of positive and negative affect: The PANAS scales. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 54(6), 1063–70.
54.
WilbargerPWilbargerJ (1991) Sensory defensiveness in children 2–12. Santa Barbara, CA: Avanti Education Programs.
55.
Zero to Three/National Center for Clinical Infant Programs (1994) Diagnostic classification: 0–3. Washington, DC: Zero to Three.
56.
ZuckermanM (1994) Behavioral expressions and biosocial bases of sensation seeking. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
