Orchids, Tulips, and Dandelions: Exploring Sensory Sensitivity, Anxiety, and Cognitive Distractibility in Children and Adolescents

Abstract

Anxious individuals and those with sensory processing sensitivity-a temperamental trait characterized by heightened sensitivity to both internal and external stimuli- exhibit hypervigilance in non-threatening environments. This study examines how the relationship between anxiety, sensory sensitivity, and cognitive distractibility in children and adolescents without clinical diagnoses. Data were collected from 47 children aged 8-17, who completed two visual oddball (VO) tasks, including one with distracting background noise of multiple voices speaking simultaneously. The Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children (MASC) and the Highly Sensitive Child (HSC) Scale assessed anxiety symptoms and sensory sensitivity. Results indicate that sensitivity moderates the relationship between anxiety and performance, with high sensitivity linked to higher reaction times (cognitive distractibility) at low anxiety levels. Conversely, low sensitivity corresponds to faster reaction times. At high anxiety levels, sensitivity has minimal impact on distractibility. These findings highlight the importance of sensitivity in understanding anxiety’s effect on cognitive performance.