Internal structure of the reflective functioning scale.
Abstract
The Reflective Functioning Scale (RFS) was developed to assess individual differences in the ability to mentalize attachment relationships. The RFS assesses mentalization from transcripts of the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI). A global score is given by trained coders on an 11-point scale ranging from antireflective to exceptionally reflective. Coding procedures rely on a distinction of demand and permit questions during the AAI. Demand questions directly probe for reflective functioning (RF), whereas permit questions do not. Coding focuses on detecting qualitative markers of RF and qualitative markers of absent RF, respectively. Despite its relevant empirical contributions in clinical research, several psychometric properties of the RFS are still unclear. In this article, we present data on the reliability and internal structure of the RFS based on a combined sample of 196 subjects. We were able to show that (a) the global score can be assessed with good interrater reliability, is relatively stable across time, and is significantly reduced in persons with mental disorders; (b) demand questions are based on a single latent factor; (c) demand questions do not differ in terms of difficulty; (d) all demand questions but 1 are incrementally predictive of the global score; (e) 5 permit questions contribute to the global score over and above demand questions; and (f) the number of qualitative markers of RF is also predictive of the global score. Our results have important conceptual and methodological implications for future studies using the RFS.
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The RF coding system has been demonstrated to have good psychometric properties.
“The RF coding system has been demonstrated to have good psychometric properties (Fonagy et al., 1998; Taubner et al., 2013).”
From Another step closer to measuring the ghosts in the nursery: preliminary validation of the Trauma Reflective Functioning Scale. (2014) · cites this paper as Taubner et al., 2013
The RF coding system has been demonstrated to have good psychometric properties.
“The RF coding system has been demonstrated to have good psychometric properties (Fonagy et al., 1998; Taubner et al., 2013).”
From INTERGENERATIONAL TRANSMISSION OF ATTACHMENT IN ABUSED AND NEGLECTED MOTHERS: THE ROLE OF TRAUMA-SPECIFIC REFLECTIVE FUNCTIONING: Attachment, Reflective Function, and Trauma (2015) · cites this paper as Taubner et al., 2013
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- Authors
- Taubner, S., Hörz, S., Fischer-Kern, M., Doering, S., Buchheim, A., & Zimmermann, J.
- Affiliations
- Medical University of Vienna (AT)
- Universität Innsbruck (AT)
- University of Kassel (DE)
- Venue
- Psychological Assessment
- Published
- 2013-03
- Volume
- 25
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 127-135
- ISSN
- 1040-3590 (ISSN-L)
- 1939-134X
- OpenAlex
- W2028346041
- Cited by
- 131
- References
- 35
- Citations by year
- 2026: 8 · 2025: 10 · 2024: 12 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 10 · 2021: 12 · 2020: 11 · 2019: 14 · 2018: 12 · 2017: 9 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 7 · 2014: 6 · 2013: 5
- FWCI
- 8.69
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Psychological Assessment (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Jubilaeumsfonds of the Austrian National Bank (10363)
- German Federal Ministry of the Interior
- Köhler-Stiftung
- Baumgart-Stiftung
- Bayerische Gleichstellungsförderung
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Attachment and Relationship Dynamics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychoanalysis and Psychopathology Research
- Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › Management Science and Operations Research › Psychometric Methodologies and Testing
- Keywords
- reflective functioning, mentalization, Adult Attachment Interview, internal structure, inter-rater reliability, latent factor structure, mental illness, attachment relationships
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Factor Analysis, Statistical, Female, Humans, Interview, Psychological, Male, Middle Aged, Object Attachment, Psychiatric Status Rating Scales, Psychometrics, Reproducibility of Results, Qualitative Research, Young Adult, Theory of Mind
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