Reflective functioning moderates the association between perceptions of parental neglect and attachment in adolescence.

Jessica L. Borelli · Angelo Compare · Jonathan E. Snavely · Valentina Decio

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Attachment and Relationship Dynamics Psychoanalysis and Psychopathology Research Child Abuse and Trauma

Abstract

Preliminary evidence suggests that reflective functioning (RF), or the ability to understand that mental states underlie behavior in the self and others (also called mentalizing), appears to be a protective factor against the development of psychopathology among adults who have experienced early abuse and neglect. The associations among early adverse experiences, RF, and attachment security have yet to be examined in adolescence. The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether RF moderates the link between early neglect from primary caregivers and insecure attachment in adolescents. Specifically, in this study the authors test the hypothesis that neglect is less strongly associated with insecure attachment among adolescents with high RF. Seventy-nine adolescents (39 male) recruited from a community research center completed the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI). Three sets of independent raters scored the AAI for inferred parental neglect, attachment classification, and RF, respectively. The results of a binary logistic regression revealed that RF moderated the association between neglect and attachment: Neglect was only associated with insecure attachment among adolescents with low to moderate RF. The results of the study have the potential to inform our understanding of the evolution of the internal working model of attachment and mentalization during adolescence.

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References

2000The Construct of Resilience: A Critical Evaluation and Guidelines for Future Work 2018Affect Regulation, Mentalization, and the Development of the Self 1995Adult attachment representations, parental responsiveness, and infant attachment: A meta-analysis on the predictive validity of the Adult Attachment Interview.1997Attachment and reflective function: Their role in self-organization 1991The capacity for understanding mental states: The reflective self in parent and child and its significance for security of attachment 2005Parental reflective functioning: An introduction 1996The relation of attachment status, psychiatric classification, and response to psychotherapy.1991Maternal Representations of Attachment during Pregnancy Predict the Organization of Infant-Mother Attachment at One Year of Age

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2016Mentalization Mediates the Relationship between Early Maltreatment and Potential for Violence in Adolescence 2017Reflective functioning, maternal attachment, mind-mindedness, and emotional availability in adolescent and adult mothers at infant 3 months 2019In a father’s mind: paternal reflective functioning, sensitive parenting, and protection against socioeconomic risk 2018

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