The Unique Contributions of Parenting Reflectivity and Mind-Mindedness on Children’s Attachment Security and Social-Emotional Development

• In Event: Poster Session 12
  In Poster Session: PS 12 Topic - Parenting & Parent-Child Relationships

Abstract

Parental reflective functioning (RF), or the capacity for parents to recognize and accurately interpret the thoughts, feelings, and intentions of their children (Slade et al., 2005), and parental mind-mindedness, the capacity for parents to treat their children as having minds of their own (Meins, 1999), both fall under the larger construct of parental mentalization. While similar, parental RF is often assessed via a semi-structured interview whereas mind-mindedness is assessed by coding videotaped play sessions for mind-related comments. Both parental RF and mind-mindedness have been shown to play important roles in predicting children’s attachment security (e.g., Slade et al, 2005; Meins et al., 2012) and emotion regulation (Ensink et al., 2016; Meins et al., 2013). However, little research has assessed parental RF and mind-mindedness together, and fewer studies have sought to understand how each may contribute to children’s outcomes differentially. Therefore, the present study sought to understand the unique contributions parental RF and mind-mindedness make in predicting children’s attachment security and social-emotional development.

Participants in the present study included a subsample of 88 ethnically diverse and economically disadvantaged mothers from a larger longitudinal study which began in pregnancy. Parenting reflectivity was assessed prenatally and at 2-years postpartum using the Reflective Parenting Scale (Rosenblum et al., 2008) for the Working Model of the Child Interview (Zeanah & Benoit, 1995). Parental mind-mindedness was assessed using Meins’ and Fernyhough’s (2015) coding system on a series of videotaped free play sessions obtained at 2-years postpartum. The total number of mind-related comments and proportions of appropriate and non-attuned comments were included in analyses. Toddler attachment security was assessed using the Attachment Q-Set (AQS; Waters, 1987) and toddlers’ social-emotional development was assessed using the Brief Infant-Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment (BITSEA; Briggs-Gowan & Carter, 2007).

Bivariate correlations demonstrated numerous significant correlations among study variables (see Table 1). A series of multiple regressions revealed that, after controlling for parental education, prenatal parental RF significantly predicted attachment security 2 years later; however, parental RF at 2 years and appropriate mind-related comments did not significantly contribute to the variance (see Table 2). Prenatal parental RF was a trend-level predictor of toddler social-emotional competence, but later parental RF and appropriate mind-related comments did not serve as additional significant predictors. Lastly, neither parental RF nor mind-mindedness significantly predicted toddler social-emotional problems when other predictors were accounted for.

The results of the present study extend upon prior research by examining the unique associations between parental RF and mind-mindedness and young children’s attachment security and social-emotional development. It appears that mothers’ accurate perceptions of their child’s thoughts and feelings during pregnancy may prime them to engage in similarly reflective and mind-minded ways later, but not to a degree that significantly adds to the prediction of toddler attachment security and social-emotional competence above and beyond prenatal reflectivity. These results provide support for the importance of parental RF in predicting child outcomes and for the use of early interventions to improve the reflective capacity of new parents, particularly during pregnancy.

Authors

• Jerrica Pitzen, Rochester University
  Presenting Author

• Megan McNulty, Eastern Michigan University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Shannon Franz, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
  Non-Presenting Author

• Clarissa Morgan, Eastern Michigan University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Jamie Lawler, Eastern Michigan University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Alissa Christine Huth-Bocks, Wayne State University
  Non-Presenting Author