3-207 - Investigating Differential Susceptibility across Childhood with Self- and Observed-Rated Measures of Environmental Sensitivity

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Integrative Statement

According to the Differential Susceptibility framework (Belsky & Pluess, 20009), children differ in their susceptibility to environmental influences, with some being more sensitive than others. Although many studies support this assumption most of them use more or less proximal markers of Environmental Sensitivity (e.g., infant temperament, genetic variants etc.). Currently, the only specific measure of Environmental Sensitivity for children is the Highly Sensitive Child (HSC) scale (Pluess et al., 2018) which has been adapted from a scale for adults (Aron & Aron, 1997). This symposium focuses on the measurement of Environmental Sensitivity in children at different ages as well as the investigation of sensitivity to parenting, attachment insecurity, life events and the school context.
The first paper provides data on the development and psychometric properties of a new observer-rated sensitivity scale for preschool-age children, including empirical evidence for the moderating effects of the new scale in relation to parenting quality. The second paper focuses on the identification of personality profiles (based on facets of the Big Five personality traits) associated with the sensitivity scale and investigation of its moderating effects of attachment insecurity on depressive symptoms. The third paper investigates the relationship between the sensitivity scale and cognitive biases and provides evidence that sensitivity moderates the effects of recent negative life events on cognitive biases and depressive symptoms. Finally, the fourth paper reports the adaptation of the sensitivity scale for use in German secondary schools as well as associations between self-reported sensitivity and academic variables (i.e., scientific interest, academic achievement).

Sub Unit

• Social, Emotional, Personality

Chair

• Michael Pluess, Queen Mary University of London

Individual Presentations

• Observer-Rated Environmental Sensitivity Predicts Children’s Differential Susceptibility to Parenting in Early Childhood - Presenting Author: Michael Pluess, Queen Mary University of London; Non-Presenting Author: Francesca Lionetti, Queen Mary University of London; Non-Presenting Author: Elaine Aron, Stony Brook University; Non-Presenting Author: Arthur Aron, Stony Brook University; Non-Presenting Author: Dan Klein, Stony Brook University

• Five-factor model based profile of environmental sensitivity: a blend of personality facets across domains - Presenting Author: Patricia Bijttebier, KU Leuven; Non-Presenting Author: Sofie Weyn, KU Leuven; Non-Presenting Author: Filip De Fruyt, Ghent University; Non-Presenting Author: Margot Bastin, KU Leuven; Non-Presenting Author: Michael Pluess, Queen Mary University of London; Non-Presenting Author: Karla Van Leeuwen, KU Leuven

• Environmental sensitivity in adolescence: understanding early aetiological pathways to depression - Presenting Author: Charlotte Booth, Oxford University; Non-Presenting Author: Elaine Fox, Oxford University

• The Role of Environmental Sensitivity in the School Context - Presenting Author: Teresa Tillmann, Ludwig-Maximilians-University; Non-Presenting Author: Katharina El Matany, Humboldt-University; Non-Presenting Author: Alexander Bertrams, University of Berne