Maternal reflective functioning among mothers with childhood maltreatment histories: links to sensitive parenting and infant attachment security.
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This study examined relationships among maternal reflective functioning, parenting, infant attachment, and demographic risk in a relatively large (N = 83) socioeconomically diverse sample of women with and without a history of childhood maltreatment and their infants. Most prior research on parental reflective functioning has utilized small homogenous samples. Reflective functioning was assessed with the Parent Development Interview, parenting was coded from videotaped mother-child interactions, and infant attachment was evaluated in Ainsworth's Strange Situation by independent teams of reliable coders masked to maternal history. Reflective functioning was associated with parenting sensitivity and secure attachment, and inversely associated with demographic risk and parenting negativity; however, it was not associated with maternal maltreatment history or PTSD. Parenting sensitivity mediated the relationship between reflective functioning and infant attachment, controlling for demographic risk. Findings are discussed in the context of prior research on reflective functioning and the importance of targeting reflective functioning in interventions.
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Further studies found a significant relationship between maternal reflective functioning and quality of caregiving even in clinical samples.
“Nevertheless, further studies found a significant relationship between maternal RF and quality of caregiving even in clinical samples (Borelli et al., 2012; Huth-Bocks et al., 2014; Stacks et al., 2014).”
From Mentalizing makes parenting work: a review about parental reflective functioning and clinical interventions to improve it (2017) · cites this paper as Stacks et al., 2014
The significant relationship between maternal PDI-RF and parenting behavior was also found in a relatively large and mixed sample of women with and without a history of childhood maltreatment from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds.
“The significant relationship between maternal PDI-RF and parenting behavior was also found in a recent study (Stacks et al., 2014) on a relatively large and mixed sample consisting of women both with and without a history of childhood maltreatment from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds.”
From Mentalizing makes parenting work: a review about parental reflective functioning and clinical interventions to improve it (2017) · cites this paper as Stacks et al., 2014
A few empirical studies supported the notion that neither the severity of the traumatic events nor the severity of maternal PTSD symptoms predicted the levels of maternal reflective functioning about the child.
“A few empirical studies (Schechter et al., 2005; Huth-Bocks et al., 2014; Stacks et al., 2014) supported the notion that neither the severity of the traumatic events nor the severity of maternal post-traumatic stress disorder (PSTD) symptoms predicted the levels of maternal reflective functioning about the child.”
From Mentalizing makes parenting work: a review about parental reflective functioning and clinical interventions to improve it (2017) · cites this paper as Stacks et al., 2014
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Flagged first, then by citations
Research works printed but not linked: 3
- Grienenberger J Kelley K Slade A Maternal reflective functioning, mother-infant affective communication and infant attachment: Exploring the link between mental states and observed caregiving. Attachment and Human Development 2005 7 299 311 Doi:10.1177/0274316930500245963 16210241 · DOI
- Slade A Sadler LS Mayes LC Berlin LJ Ziv Y Amaya-Jackson L Greenberg MT Minding the Baby: Enhancing parental reflective functioning in a nursing/mental health home visiting program Enhancing early attachments: Theory Research, Intervention and Policy 2005 152 177 Guilford Press New York
- Van IJzendoorn MH Bakermans-Kranenburg Juffer F Berlin LJ Ziv Y Amaya-Jackson L Greenberg MT Why less is more: From the dodo bird verdict to evidence-based interventions on sensitivity and early attachments Enhancing early attachments: Theory Research, Intervention and Policy 2005 297 312 Guilford Press New York
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- Authors
- Stacks, A. M., Muzik, M., Wong, K., Beeghly, M., Huth-Bocks, A., Irwin, J. L., & Rosenblum, K. L.
- Affiliations
- Wayne State University (US)
- University of Michigan (US)
- Boston Children's Hospital (US)
- ,
- Corresponding author
- Muzik, Maria
- Venue
- Attachment & Human Development
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2014-07-16
- Volume
- 16
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 515-533
- ISSN
- 1461-6734 (ISSN-L)
- 1469-2988
- PMC
- PMC4146668
- OpenAlex
- W2005294951
- Cited by
- 195
- References
- 72
- Citations by year
- 2026: 10 · 2025: 12 · 2024: 14 · 2023: 17 · 2022: 15 · 2021: 23 · 2020: 26 · 2019: 22 · 2018: 19 · 2017: 19 · 2016: 9 · 2015: 8 · 2014: 1
- FWCI
- 18.25
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Attachment & Human Development (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health (UL1TR000433)
- National Institute of Mental Health (K23MH080147)
- National Center for Research Resources (K12RR017607)
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences
- 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 Abuse and Trauma
- Keywords
- maternal reflective functioning, child abuse, parenting sensitivity, infant attachment security, demographic risk, maternal PTSD, mother-infant interaction, mediation, Ainsworth Strange Situation
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Child Abuse, Female, Humans, Infant, Infant, Newborn, Maternal Behavior, Middle Aged, Mother-Child Relations, Mothers, Object Attachment, Socioeconomic Factors, Parenting
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