1-009 - Mind-Mindedness: Challenging Parent Contexts and Relations with Child Development

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Integrative Statement

Individual differences in mind-mindedness (the ability to ‘tune in’ to the infant’s internal states) have been documented during free-play. The papers in this symposium investigate mind-mindedness under more challenging circumstances, and explore new aspects of child development that are predicted by mind-mindedness. Two papers investigated mind-mindedness in the Still Face Paradigm (SFP); a third focused on mind-mindedness in mothers hospitalized for severe mental illness (SMI). Mothers who mirrored their infants’ behavior during the SFP were more likely to comment appropriately on their infants’ internal states when observing the filmed SFP. Mothers who showed an increase in appropriate mind-related comments from pre- to post-still face episodes were best able to re-engage their infants after the still face. Mothers with SMI were more likely than psychologically healthy controls to comment in a non-attuned manner on their infants’ internal states. An intervention to facilitate mind-mindedness was found to be effective, and mothers’ mind-mindedness did not differ from controls at discharge from hospital. Two papers report on how mind-mindedness relates to children’s interactional behavior. Maternal mind-mindedness was positively related to toddlers’ concurrent engagement in joint attention, and maternal and paternal mind-mindedness in the first year of life predicted fewer social problem behaviors at age 4. This symposium will advance understanding of mind-mindedness by (a) highlighting its role in repairing infant–mother interaction after emotional disengagement, (b) demonstrating that mind-mindedness can be facilitated through intervention, and (c) documenting its role in predicting children’s social engagement with caregivers and peers.

Sub Unit

• Parenting & Parent-Child Relationships

Chairs

• Elizabeth Meins, York University

• Gabrielle Coppola, Universita G. D'Annunzio di Chieti

Individual Presentations

• Maternal Mind-Mindedness and Children’s Understanding of Mental States in Self and Other - Presenting Author: Ann E Bigelow, St Francis Xavier University; Michelle Power, st. Francis Xavier university; Maria Bulmer, st. Francis Xavier university; Katlyn Gerrior, st. Francis Xavier university; Kim MacLean, St Francis Xavier Univ; Rita Gillis, st. Francis Xavier university

• Maternal Mind-Mindedness During the Still Face Paradigm - Presenting Author: Gabrielle Coppola, Universita G. D'Annunzio di Chieti; Tiziana Aureli, University "G. D'Annunzio" of Chieti-Pescara; Annalisa Grazia, University "G. D'Annunzio" of Chieti-Pescara; Mirco Fasolo, Università degli Studi di Milano - Bicocca; Eliala Salvadori, University of Amsterdam; Raffaella Mancini, University "G. D'Annunzio" of Chieti-Pescara

• Mind-Mindedness in Mothers Hospitalised for Severe Mental Illness - Presenting Author: Robin Schacht, Department of Psychology, Durham University; Elizabeth Meins, York University; Charles Fernyhough, University of Durham, Science Laboratori; Susan Pawlby, Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London

• Maternal and Paternal Mind-Mindedness at 12 Months as Predictors of Children’s Social Behavior Problems at 48 Months - Presenting Author: Cristina Colonnesi, University of Amsterdam; Moniek A. J. Zeegers, Research Institute of Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Susan M. Bögels, Research Institute of Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands