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Cited by 757Child and Animal Learning DevelopmentChild and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional DevelopmentAttachment and Relationship Dynamics

Maternal mind-mindedness and attachment security as predictors of theory of mind understanding

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Meins, Elizabeth, Fernyhough, Charles, Wainwright, Rachel, Das Gupta, Mani, Fradley, Emma, Tuckey, Michelle·2002·Child Development
DOI 10.1111/1467-8624.00501
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Abstract

This study investigated relations between social interaction during infancy and children's subsequent theory of mind (ToM). Infant-mother pairs (N = 57) were observed in a free-play context at 6 months. Interactions were coded for (a) mothers' use of mental state language that commented appropriately on the infants' mental states, and (b) mothers' use of mental state language that did not appropriately reflect their infants' minds. A third variable was (c) security of attachment, which was assessed using the Strange Situation procedure at 12 months. Performance on a battery of ToM tasks at 45 and 48 months was positively correlated with (a), but was not related to (b) or (c). A regression analysis showed that mothers' use of appropriate mental state comments independently predicted overall ToM performance, accounting for 11% of the variance. Children's verbal ability was the only other independent predictor of ToM performance, accounting for 16% of the variance. These findings represent the earliest known social predictor of individual differences in ToM.

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Crossref · 10.1111/1467-8624.00501

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  • Not all studies have found a relationship between attachment classification and ToM tasks; the association is somewhat more likely for emotion understanding than ToM.

    “It should be noted that not all studies have found a relationship between attachment classification and ToM tasks, and the association is somewhat more likely to be observed for emotion understanding than ToM (Meins et al., 2002; Raikes & Thompson, 2006).”

    From A developmental, mentalization-based approach to the understanding and treatment of borderline personality disorder (2009) · cites this paper as Meins et al., 2002

  • Higher levels of maternal mind-mindedness were associated with children's attachment security at 12 months and their later performance on theory of mind tasks.

    “Similar associations have been reported with respect to maternal mind-mindedness (i.e., the mother’s recognition that their child has mental states), wherein higher levels of mind-mindedness were associated with children’s attachment security at 12 months (Meins, Fernyhough, Fradley, & Tuckey, 2001) and their later performance on theory of mind tasks (Meins et al., 2002).”

    From Investigating the association between parental reflective functioning and distress tolerance in motherhood. (2015) · cites this paper as Meins et al., 2002

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Authors
Meins, E., Fernyhough, C., Wainwright, R., Das Gupta, M., Fradley, E., & Tuckey, M.
Affiliations
  • Durham University (GB)
  • University of Staffordshire (GB)
  • Staffordshire University
ORCID
Venue
Child Development
Publisher
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Published
2002-11-01
Volume
73
Issue
6
Pages
1715-1726
ISSN
  • 0009-3920 (ISSN-L)
  • 1467-8624
DOI
10.1111/1467-8624.00501
OpenAlex
W2116434822
Cited by
757
References
39
Citations by year
2026: 15 · 2025: 29 · 2024: 24 · 2023: 22 · 2022: 59 · 2021: 28 · 2020: 31 · 2019: 44 · 2018: 47 · 2017: 40 · 2016: 38 · 2015: 50 · 2014: 50 · 2013: 43 · 2012: 34
FWCI
18.46
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Child Development (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Durham Research Online (Durham University) (acceptedVersion)
  • Durham Research Online (Durham University) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Funders
  • Staffordshire University
  • Economic and Social Research Council
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Child and Animal Learning Development
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Attachment and Relationship Dynamics
Keywords
theory of mind, maternal mind-mindedness, attachment security, mental state language, mother-infant interaction, infant social interaction, Strange Situation Procedure, verbal ability, individual differences
MeSH terms
Child, Psychology, Child, Child, Preschool, Cognition, Female, Humans, Interpersonal Relations, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Object Attachment

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