Costs of Not Getting to Know You: Lower Levels of Parental Reflective Functioning Confer Risk for Maternal Insensitivity and Insecure Infant Attachment

Infancy : the Official Journal of the International Society on Infant Studies
Karin EnsinkPeter Fonagy

Abstract

Parental reflective functioning (PRF) is a robust predictor of parenting sensitivity and secure infant attachment, but its assessment requires extensive resources, limiting its integration into research and clinical practice. The Mini-Parent Reflective Functioning Interview (Mini-PRFI) assesses the parent's capacity to mentalize for his/her 6-month-old infant (rated using the PRF coding system; Slade et al., 2004, PRF coding system and Slade REF, Unpublished protocol, New York, NY: The City University of New York). In the current study, we examined whether Mini-PRFI scores were associated with theoretically related constructs; to establish a point of comparison, we evaluated links between Mini-PRFI scores alongside RF assessed from the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI). Mother-infant dyads (N = 88) completed the AAI before the birth of the infant, the Mini-PRFI and an interaction task (rated for insensitive parental behavior) when infants were 6 months old, as well as the Strange Situation Procedure when infants were 16 months old. Mini-PRFI scores were strongly positively associated with AAI RF and negatively associated with maternal insensitivity. Mini-PRFI scores predicted infant attachment organization (secure/insecure, orga...Continue Reading

References

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Oct 8, 2005·Attachment & Human Development·Arietta Slade
Oct 8, 2005·Attachment & Human Development·Arietta SladeAlison Locker
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Dec 5, 2013·Attachment & Human Development·Beatrice Beebe, Miriam Steele
Apr 30, 2014·Psychotherapy·Peter Fonagy, Elizabeth Allison
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Feb 6, 2017·Journal of Personality Assessment·Karin EnsinkPeter Fonagy

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Citations

Feb 15, 2020·Infant Mental Health Journal·María José León, Marcia Olhaberry
Jan 27, 2021·PloS One·Saskia MalcorpsPatrick Luyten
Mar 13, 2021·Scandinavian Journal of Psychology·Pamela Parada-FernándezHeidi Rohwer
Mar 18, 2021·Attachment & Human Development·Daphna G Dollberg
May 4, 2021·Attachment & Human Development·Atara Menashe-GrinbergNaama Atzaba-Poria
Aug 14, 2021·Frontiers in Psychology·Karin EnsinkJessica L Borelli

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