Parental reflective functioning is associated with tolerance of infant distress but not general distress: evidence for a specific relationship using a simulated baby paradigm.

Rutherford, Helena J.V.; Goldberg, Benjamin; Luyten, Patrick; Bridgett, David J.; Mayes, Linda C.

doi:10.1016/j.infbeh.2013.06.008

Cited by 167Attachment and Relationship DynamicsInfant Health and DevelopmentPsychoanalysis and Psychopathology Research

Parental reflective functioning is associated with tolerance of infant distress but not general distress: evidence for a specific relationship using a simulated baby paradigm.

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Rutherford, Helena J.V., Goldberg, Benjamin, Luyten, Patrick, Bridgett, David J., Mayes, Linda C.·2013·Infant Behavior and Development

DOI 10.1016/j.infbeh.2013.06.008PMC PMC3858415

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Abstract

Parental reflective functioning represents the capacity of a parent to think about their own and their child's mental states and how these mental states may influence behavior. Here we examined whether this capacity as measured by the Parental Reflective Functioning Questionnaire relates to tolerance of infant distress by asking mothers (N = 21) to soothe a life-like baby simulator (BSIM) that was inconsolable, crying for a fixed time period unless the mother chose to stop the interaction. Increasing maternal interest and curiosity in their child's mental states, a key feature of parental reflective functioning, was associated with longer persistence times with the BSIM. Importantly, on a non-parent distress tolerance task, parental reflective functioning was not related to persistence times. These findings suggest that parental reflective functioning may be related to tolerance of infant distress, but not distress tolerance more generally, and thus may reflect specificity to persistence behaviors in parenting contexts.

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In the not-yet-published validation study (Luyten et al., 2009), the three-factor structure of the PRFQ was supported by exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis in two different samples for both mothers and fathers, and internal consistency was good for all subscales, ranging from 0.70 for pre-mentalizing modes to 0.82 for certainty in mental states.
“Rutherford et al. (2013) reported that in the not yet published validation study (Luyten et al., 2009, Unpublished), the three-factor structure of the PRFQ was supported by exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis in two different samples for both mothers and fathers, and that internal consistency was good for all the subscales, ranging from 0.70 for pre-mentalizing modes to 0.82 for certainty”
From Mentalizing makes parenting work: a review about parental reflective functioning and clinical interventions to improve it (2017) · cites this paper as Rutherford et al., 2013
PRFQ subscales were not correlated with demographic features, whereas they were associated with parental attachment, emotional availability, and parenting stress.
“The subscales were not correlated with demographic features, whereas they were associated with parental attachment, emotional availability, and parenting stress.”
From Mentalizing makes parenting work: a review about parental reflective functioning and clinical interventions to improve it (2017) · cites this paper as Rutherford et al., 2013
In Rutherford et al. (2013, 2015), parental reflective functioning evaluated by PRFQ was related to the mother's tolerance of infant distress.
“Rutherford et al. (2013, 2015) found that parental reflective functioning evaluated by PRFQ was related to the mother’s tolerance of infant distress.”
From Mentalizing makes parenting work: a review about parental reflective functioning and clinical interventions to improve it (2017) · cites this paper as Rutherford et al., 2013
In a subset of the pilot sample (N=15), heart rate and systolic blood pressure increased pre- to post-BSIM interaction, validating the distressing nature of the task.
“We also found that in a subset of this sample (N=15) where physiological recording was possible, heart rate and systolic blood pressure increased pre- to post-BSIM interaction, validating the distressing nature of the task.”
From Investigating the association between parental reflective functioning and distress tolerance in motherhood. (2015) · cites this paper as Rutherford et al., 2013
In a small pilot study (Rutherford et al., 2013), mothers reporting higher levels of reflective functioning - specifically in respect of interest and curiosity in their own infant's mental states - persisted for longer in soothing the BSIM.
“Our main finding was that mothers reporting higher levels of reflective functioning – specifically in respect of interest and curiosity in their own infant’s mental states – persisted for longer in soothing the BSIM.”
From Investigating the association between parental reflective functioning and distress tolerance in motherhood. (2015) · cites this paper as Rutherford et al., 2013

In the pilot study, parental reflective functioning was not associated with persistence times in the PASAT-C.
“Parental reflective functioning was not associated with persistence times in this more generic task.”
From Investigating the association between parental reflective functioning and distress tolerance in motherhood. (2015) · cites this paper as Rutherford et al., 2013
Construct validity of the PRFQ is evident from these subscales being associated with parental attachment, emotional availability, and parenting stress and distress as well as infant attachment status as assessed by the Strange Situation Procedure.
“Construct validity is evident from these subscales being associated with parental attachment, emotional availability, and parenting stress and distress as well as infant attachment status as assessed by the Strange Situation Procedure (Luyten et al., under review; Rutherford et al., 2013).”
From Investigating the association between parental reflective functioning and distress tolerance in motherhood. (2015) · cites this paper as Rutherford et al., 2013
The BSIM paradigm is designed to measure parental distress tolerance.
“The BSIM paradigm (Rutherford et al., 2013) is designed to measure parental distress tolerance.”
From Investigating the association between parental reflective functioning and distress tolerance in motherhood. (2015) · cites this paper as Rutherford et al., 2013
Mothers in the original study were enrolled with an infant younger than the age of 2 years (M = 13 months); in the present study, we recruited mothers earlier in the postpartum period (M = 5 months).
“Namely, mothers in the original study were enrolled with an infant younger than the age of 2 years (M = 13 months); however in the present study, we recruited mothers earlier in the postpartum period (M = 5 months).”
From Investigating the association between parental reflective functioning and distress tolerance in motherhood. (2015) · cites this paper as Rutherford et al., 2013
Our prior work reported a positive correlation between parent's interest and curiosity in their infant's mental states and distress tolerance as measured by the BSIM.
“However, our prior work reported a positive correlation between parent’s interest and curiosity in their infant’s mental states and distress tolerance as measured by the BSIM (Rutherford et al., 2013).”
From Investigating the association between parental reflective functioning and distress tolerance in motherhood. (2015) · cites this paper as Rutherford et al., 2013

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Authors: Rutherford, H. J. V., Goldberg, B., Luyten, P., Bridgett, D. J., & Mayes, L. C.
Affiliations: KU Leuven (BE)
Corresponding author: Rutherford, Helena J.V.
ORCID: Rutherford, Helena J.V.
Luyten, Patrick
Bridgett, David J.
Venue: Infant Behavior and Development
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Published: 2013-12
Volume: 36
Issue: 4
Pages: 635-641
ISSN: 0163-6383 (ISSN-L)
DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2013.06.008
PMC: PMC3858415
OpenAlex: W2027047600
Cited by: 167
References: 31
Citations by year: 2026: 6 · 2025: 14 · 2024: 12 · 2023: 18 · 2022: 13 · 2021: 17 · 2020: 15 · 2019: 17 · 2018: 17 · 2017: 15 · 2016: 11 · 2015: 8 · 2014: 2 · 2013: 1 · 2012: 1
FWCI: 10.98
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: green
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Licence: www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
Locations: Infant Behavior and Development (publishedVersion)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
Funders: Anna Freud Centre
NIDA P01 DA022446-05
NIDA R01 DA026437-02
NICHD R21 HD072574-01
Topics: Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Attachment and Relationship Dynamics
Health Sciences › Health Professions › Pharmacy › Infant Health and Development
Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychoanalysis and Psychopathology Research
Keywords: parental reflective functioning, maternal mentalization
MeSH terms: Adult, Crying, Female, Humans, Infant, Male, Parent-Child Relations, Parents, Surveys and Questionnaires, Thinking, Parenting, Infant Behavior, Young Adult

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Parental reflective functioning is associated with tolerance of infant distress but not general distress: evidence for a specific relationship using a simulated baby paradigm.

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