Maternal reflective functioning, mother–infant affective communication, and infant attachment: Exploring the link between mental states and observed caregiving behavior in the intergenerational transmission of attachment

Abstract

This study examines the link between mental representations and maternal behavior within the intergenerational transmission of attachment. Maternal reflective functioning was hypothesized to predict the quality of mother-infant affective communication based on the AMBIANCE measure. Each of these measures was also considered as a predictor of the quality of infant attachment. The subjects were 45 mothers and their 10-14-month-old infants. Results supported each of the study's major hypotheses. The AMBIANCE measure and the reflective functioning measure had a strong negative correlation. Thus, the level of disruption in mother-infant affective communication was inversely related to the level of maternal reflective functioning. The AMBIANCE measure was also shown to be a very good predictor of infant attachment. Mothers with high AMBIANCE scores were more likely to have infants classified as disorganized or resistant, whereas mothers with low AMBIANCE scores were more likely to have infants classified as secure. A linear regression analysis indicated that maternal behavior mediates the impact of maternal reflective functioning upon infant attachment. Implications for attachment theory and early intervention are explored.

Parental embodied mentalizing: how the nonverbal dance between parents and infants predicts children’s socio-emotional functioning

“…In light of theory and evidence that maternal sensitivity influences the development of attachment security (for review, see Belsky & Fearon, 2008), it should not be surprising that so does parental mentalizing (Arnott & Meins, 2007;Lundy, 2003;Meins, Fernyhough, Fradley, & Tuckey, 2001;Slade et al, 2005). In fact, in some cases it does so over and above traditional measures of maternal care, including of maternal sensitivity (Kelly, Slade, & Grienenberger, 2005;Koren-Karie et al, 2002;Laranjo, Bernier, & Meins, 2008;Meins et al, 2001). But just like maternal sensitivity, it is not just attachment security that mentalizing predicts.…”

Effect of a Supportive-Training Intervention on Mother-Infant Attachment

“…Attachment leads to an effective relationship between mothers and infants, which is specialized to themselves; as a result of this relationship, both mothers and infants can feel secure and this can lead to emergence of first social relationship patterns in infants (29).…”

Revisión bibliográfica sobre el tratamiento sistémico y cognitivo conductual del trastorno límite de personalidad

“…Por el lado de la investigación diversos autores a nivel mundial y desde variadas perspectivas han abordado el tema. Un ejemplo es el trabajo que se ha realizado para detectar problemas en la percepción de la señal entre madres con TLP y sus bebés, destacando que las madres con TLP pueden manejar dificultades a este nivel, ya que no captarían de forma efectiva las señales perceptuales correspondientes a necesidades del bebé, lo que podría influir en la calidad del vínculo y en la capacidad de respuesta de la madre para satisfacer las necesidades fisiológicas y emocionales del bebé (Elliot et al, 2014;Grienenberger, Kelly, & Slade, 2005;Lanfranco & Canales-Johnson, 2014;Preißler, Dziobek, Ritter, Heekeren, & Roepke, 2010;Spinrad, Stifter, Donelan McCall, & Turner, 2004). Sin embargo, Guendelman (2014) sostiene que los resultados de los estudios sobre cognición social y percepción no siempre concuerdan.…”