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Cited by 186Attachment and Relationship DynamicsPsychoanalysis and Psychopathology ResearchChild and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 68 of the 68 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

Sensitive attunement to infants’ internal states: operationalizing the construct of mind-mindedness

Meins, Elizabeth·2013·Attachment & Human Development
DOI 10.1080/14616734.2013.830388
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Abstract

This paper focuses on caregiver sensitivity, its relation to mind-mindedness (caregivers' attunement to their infants' internal states), and how well both constructs predict infant attachment security. The seminal Baltimore research on sensitivity and its relation to attachment security is summarized, highlighting the conclusion that mothers in the insecure-resistant and insecure-avoidant categories could not be distinguished on the basis of sensitivity. The contrast between the complex, sophisticated construct detailed in the original studies and the broad-based nature of the sensitivity coding scale is discussed. This paper argues that we should return to Ainsworth, Bell, and Stayton's (1971, 1974) original emphasis on the caregiver's ability to perceive things from the child's point of view in defining a measure of the quality of early infant-caregiver interaction. This approach led to the development of the construct of mind-mindedness. There are two mind-mindedness indices: caregivers' tendency during infant-caregiver interaction to (a) comment appropriately on their infants' putative thoughts and feelings (appropriate mind-related comments), and (b) misread their infants' internal states (non-attuned mind-related comments). Both indices predict independent variance in infant-caregiver attachment security, and together can distinguish between the secure, avoidant, and resistant categories. The specific, multidimensional nature of mind-mindedness complements the global construct of sensitivity.

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Citations

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Show all 62 references

Research works printed but not linked: 8

  1. Ainsworth M. D. S., 1974, The introduction of the child into a social world, 99
  2. Ainsworth M. D. S., 1969, Determinants of infant behaviour, 4
  3. Bowlby J., 1958, International Journal of Psycho-Analysis, 39, 350
  4. George C., 1998, The caregiving interview: Caregiving representation rating manual
  5. Meins E., 2012, Mind-mindedness coding manual, Version 2.1
  6. Pederson D. R., 1998, Developmental Psychology, 34, 923, 10.1037/0012-1649.34.5.925 · DOI
  7. Slade A., 2003, The parent development interview – R
  8. van IJzendoorn M. H., 1995, Psychological Bulletin, 117, 1

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Metadata

Authors
Meins, E.
Affiliations
University of York (GB)
Corresponding author
Meins, Elizabeth
ORCID
Meins, Elizabeth
Venue
Attachment & Human Development
Publisher
Informa UK Limited
Published
2013-11
Volume
15
Issue
5-6
Pages
524-544
ISSN
  • 1461-6734 (ISSN-L)
  • 1469-2988
DOI
10.1080/14616734.2013.830388
OpenAlex
W2132933484
Cited by
186
References
62
Citations by year
2026: 8 · 2025: 12 · 2024: 23 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 37 · 2021: 12 · 2020: 15 · 2019: 24 · 2018: 13 · 2017: 15 · 2016: 7 · 2015: 8 · 2014: 2
FWCI
8.49
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Attachment & Human Development (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
Staffordshire University
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Attachment and Relationship Dynamics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychoanalysis and Psychopathology Research
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
Keywords
mind-mindedness, caregiver sensitivity, infant attachment security, caregiver-infant interaction, internal state, insecure-avoidant attachment, insecure-resistant attachment, attachment classification
MeSH terms
Child, Preschool, Empathy, Female, Humans, Mother-Child Relations, Psychological Theory, Mindfulness

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