Maternal reflective functioning, attachment and the transmission gap: a preliminary study.

Slade, Arietta; Grienenberger, John; Bernbach, Elizabeth; Levy, Dahlia; Locker, Alison

doi:10.1080/14616730500245880

Cited by 793Attachment and Relationship DynamicsPsychoanalysis and Psychopathology ResearchChild and Animal Learning Development

Maternal reflective functioning, attachment and the transmission gap: a preliminary study.

Slade, Arietta, Grienenberger, John, Bernbach, Elizabeth, Levy, Dahlia, Locker, Alison·2005·Attachment & Human Development

DOI 10.1080/14616730500245880

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Abstract

The notion that maternal reflective functioning, namely the mother's capacity to hold her baby and his mental states in mind, plays a vital role in the intergenerational transmission of attachment is investigated (Fonagy, Gergely, Jurist, & Target, 2002 Fonagy, P., Gergely, G., Jurist, E. and Target, M. 2002. Affect regulation, mentalization, and the development of the self, New York: Other Books. [Google Scholar]; Fonagy et al., 1995 Fonagy, P., Steele, M., Steele, H., Leigh, T., Kennedy, R.Mattoon, G. 1995. “Attachment, the reflective self, and borderline states: The predictive specificity of the Adult Attachment Interview and pathological emotional development”. In Attachment Theory: Social, Developmental and Clinical Perspectives, Edited by: Goldberg, S., Muir, R. and Kerr, J. 223–279. Hillsdale, NJ: Analytic Press. [Google Scholar]; Slade, this volume). A parent's capacity to understand the nature and function of her own as well as her child's mental states, thus allowing her to create both a physical and psychological experience of comfort and safety for her child, is proposed. In this study of 40 mothers and their babies, maternal reflective functioning is measured using the Parent Development Interview (PDI; Aber, Slade, Berger, Bresgi, & Kaplan, 1985 Aber, J., Slade, A., Berger, B., Bresgi, I. and Kaplan, M. 1985. The Parent Development Interview, The City University of New York. Unpublished protocol [Google Scholar]), and scored for reflective functioning using an addendum to Fonagy, Target, Steele, & Steele's (1998 Fonagy, P., Target, M., Steele, H. and Steele, M. 1998. “Reflective Functioning Manual, Version 5.0, for Application to Adult Attachment Interviews.”. London: University College London. [Google Scholar]) reflective functioning scoring manual (Slade, Bernbach, Grienenberger, Levy, & Locker, 2004 Slade, A., Bernbach, E., Grienenberger, J., Levy, D. and Locker, A. 2004. Addendum to Fonagy, Target, Steele, & Steele reflective functioning scoring manual for use with the Parent Development Interview, New York, NY: The City College and Graduate Center of the City University of New York. Unpublished Manuscript [Google Scholar]). The relations between maternal reflective functioning and both adult (measured in pregnancy) and infant attachment (measured at 14 months) are examined. The findings indicate that relations between adult attachment and parental reflective functioning are significant, as are relations between parental reflective functioning and infant attachment. A preliminary mediation analysis suggests that parental reflective functioning plays a crucial role in the intergenerational transmission of attachment.

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Low maternal reflective functioning was associated with ambivalent-resistant and disorganized child attachment patterns.
“Conversely, low maternal RF was associated with ambivalent-resistant and disorganized child attachment patterns (Slade et al., 2005)”
From Mentalizing makes parenting work: a review about parental reflective functioning and clinical interventions to improve it (2017) · cites this paper as Slade et al., 2005
Mothers classified as secure on the AAI during pregnancy had a higher level of reflective functioning on PDI-RF when the child was 10 months old.
“In particular, Slade et al. (2005) found that mothers who were classified as secure on AAI during pregnancy had a higher level of reflective functioning on PDI-RF when the child was 10 months old”
From Mentalizing makes parenting work: a review about parental reflective functioning and clinical interventions to improve it (2017) · cites this paper as Slade et al., 2005
Parental reflective functioning was closely related to maternal behavior and the child's attachment security.
“The first empirical studies using PDI-RF showed that parental RF was closely related to maternal behavior and the child’s attachment security (Grienenberger et al., 2005; Slade et al., 2005).”
From Mentalizing makes parenting work: a review about parental reflective functioning and clinical interventions to improve it (2017) · cites this paper as Slade et al., 2005
Children of reflective mothers were more frequently assessed as secure by the Strange Situation procedure at 14 months old.
“and that the children of reflective mothers were more frequently assessed as secure by the Strange Situation procedure (Ainsworth et al., 1978) when they were 14 months old”
From Mentalizing makes parenting work: a review about parental reflective functioning and clinical interventions to improve it (2017) · cites this paper as Slade et al., 2005

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Authors: Slade, A., Grienenberger, J., Bernbach, E., Levy, D., & Locker, A.
Affiliations: City University of New York (US)
Wright Institute (US)
ORCID: Slade, Arietta
Venue: Attachment & Human Development
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Published: 2005-09
Volume: 7
Issue: 3
Pages: 283-298
ISSN: 1461-6734 (ISSN-L)
1469-2988
DOI: 10.1080/14616730500245880
OpenAlex: W2014261513
Cited by: 785
References: 38
Citations by year: 2026: 19 · 2025: 37 · 2024: 36 · 2023: 65 · 2022: 64 · 2021: 52 · 2020: 50 · 2019: 46 · 2018: 47 · 2017: 58 · 2016: 50 · 2015: 57 · 2014: 31 · 2013: 33 · 2012: 36
FWCI: 13.84
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: closed
Locations: Attachment & Human Development (publishedVersion)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders: National Institutes of Health (5r01hd024676-05)
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (HD 24676)
Topics: Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Attachment and Relationship Dynamics
Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychoanalysis and Psychopathology Research
Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Child and Animal Learning Development
Keywords: maternal reflective functioning, intergenerational transmission of attachment, attachment, mentalization, mothers and infants, reflective self, borderline states, Adult Attachment Interview, parent-child relationship, emotion regulation, borderline personality disorder, psychodynamic psychotherapy, psychoanalytic psychotherapy, psychotherapy outcome, psychotherapy adherence
MeSH terms: Adult, Analysis of Variance, Female, Humans, Infant, Interview, Psychological, Longitudinal Studies, Mental Processes, Models, Psychological, Mother-Child Relations, Object Attachment, Pregnancy, United States, Child of Impaired Parents, Parenting

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Maternal reflective functioning, attachment and the transmission gap: a preliminary study.

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