Top

Gepubliceerd in:

18-11-2022 | Original Paper

The Role of Parental Reflective Functioning for Theory of Mind Development in Internationally Adopted Children

Auteurs: Saskia Malcorps, Nicole Vliegen, Liesbet Nijssens, Patrick Luyten

Gepubliceerd in: Journal of Child and Family Studies | Uitgave 1/2023

Abstract

In biological families, parental reflective functioning (PRF), or the parents’ capacity to envision their child as being motivated by internal mental states, is known to facilitate the development of the child’s theory of mind (ToM). Very few studies have investigated the relation between PRF and ToM in adoptive families, and none have simultaneously investigated the role of pre- and post-adoptive PRF. The present study is the first to examine relations between pre-adoptive reflective functioning (RF), post-adoptive PRF and children’s ToM acquisition in a sample of internationally adopted children and their adoptive parents (48 children; 14 girls and 34 boys). Specifically, we investigated whether the relation between pre-adoptive RF and ToM was mediated by PRF assessed when children were aged 3.5–4 years, and whether these relations were moderated by age at adoption, which served as a proxy for early adversity. Results indicated that none of the PRF dimensions mediated the relation between pre-adoptive RF and ToM. However, pre-adoptive RF and PRF both independently predicted ToM. Moreover, age at adoption moderated these associations, with both pre-adoptive RF and dimensions of PRF assessed at child age 3.5–4 years being related to ToM only in children who were adopted at an older age (≥18 months).

vorige artikel Family Functioning, Emotion Socialization, and Children’s Social Competence: Gender-Specific Effects in Chinese Families

volgende artikel The Associations between Child Irritability, Parental Distress, Parental Irritability and Family Functioning in Children Accessing Mental Health Services

Alleen toegankelijk voor geautoriseerde gebruikers

Adkins, T., Luyten, P., & Fonagy, P. (2018). Development and preliminary evaluation of Family Minds: A mentalization-based psychoeducation program for foster parents. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 27(8), 2519–2532. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-018-1080-x.CrossRef

Adkins, T., Reisz, S., Hasdemir, D., & Fonagy, P. (2021). Family Minds: A randomized controlled trial of a group intervention to improve foster parents’ reflective functioning. Development and Psychopathology, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1017/s095457942000214x.

Aldrich, N. J., Chen, J., & Alfieri, L. (2021). Evaluating associations between parental mind-mindedness and children’s developmental capacities through meta-analysis. Developmental Review, 60, 100946 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dr.2021.100946.CrossRef

Anis, L., Perez, G., Benzies, K. M., Ewashen, C., Hart, M., & Letourneau, N. (2020). Convergent validity of three measures of reflective function: Parent Development Interview, Parental Reflective Function Questionnaire, and Reflective Function Questionnaire. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 3385 https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.574719.CrossRef

Arnott, B., & Meins, E. (2007). Links among antenatal attachment representations, postnatal mind-mindedness, and infant attachment security: A preliminary study of mothers and fathers. Bulletin of the Menninger Clinic, 71, 132–149. https://doi.org/10.1521/bumc.2007.71.2.132.CrossRef

Askeland, K. G., Hysing, M., La Greca, A. M., Aarø, L. E., Tell, G. S., & Sivertsen, B. (2017). Mental health in internationally adopted adolescents: A meta-analysis. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 56(3), 203–213. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2016.12.009.CrossRef

Bammens, A.-S., Adkins, T., & Badger, J. (2015). Psycho-educational intervention increases reflective functioning in foster and adoptive parents. Adoption & Fostering, 39(1), 38–50. https://doi.org/10.1177/0308575914565069.CrossRef

Benbassat, N., & Priel, B. (2012). Parenting and adolescent adjustment: The role of parental reflective function. Journal of Adolescence, 35(1), 163–174. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2011.03.004.CrossRef

Bora, E. (2021). A meta-analysis of theory of mind and ‘mentalization’ in borderline personality disorder: a true neuro-social-cognitive or meta-social-cognitive impairment? Psychological Medicine, 51(15), 2541–2551. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291721003718.CrossRef

Borelli, J. L., Cohen, C., Pettit, C., Normandin, L., Target, M., Fonagy, P., & Ensink, K. (2019). Maternal and child sexual abuse history: An intergenerational exploration of children’s adjustment and maternal trauma-reflective functioning. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 1062 https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01062.CrossRef

Camras, L. A., Perlman, S. B., Fries, A. B. W., & Pollak, S. D. (2006). Post-institutionalized Chinese and Eastern European children: Heterogeneity in the development of emotion understanding. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 30(3), 193–199. https://doi.org/10.1177/0165025406063608.CrossRef

Colvert, E., Rutter, M., Kreppner, J., Beckett, C., Castle, J., Groothues, C., Hawkins, A., Stevens, S., & Sonuga-Barke, E. J. S. (2008). Do theory of mind and executive function deficits underlie the adverse outcomes associated with profound early deprivation? Findings from the English and Romanian adoptees study. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 36(7), 1057–1068. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-008-9232-x.CrossRef

Cooke, D. (2015). Rasch analysis of the Parental Reflective Functioning Questionnaire: A critical examination of data from a non-clinical sample of mothers and fathers with a one-year-old child [Unpublished doctoral dissertation] Curtin University.

Costa-Cordella, S., Luyten, P., Cohen, D., Mena, F., & Fonagy, P. (2021). Mentalizing in mothers and children with type 1 diabetes. Development and Psychopathology, 33(1), 216–225. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579419001706.CrossRef

De Roo, M., Wong, G., Rempel, G. R., & Fraser, S. N. (2019). Advancing optimal development in children: Examining the construct validity of a Parent Reflective Functioning Questionnaire. JMIR Pediatrics and Parenting, 2(1), e11561 https://doi.org/10.2196/11561.CrossRef

Denham, S. A. (1986). Social cognition, prosocial behavior, and emotion in preschoolers: Contextual validation. Child Development, 57(1), 194–201. https://doi.org/10.2307/1130651.CrossRef

Devine, R. T., & Hughes, C. (2018). Family correlates of false belief understanding in early childhood: A meta-analysis. Child Development, 89(3), 971–987. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.12682.CrossRef

Ensink, K., Berthelot, N., Bernazzani, O., Normandin, L., & Fonagy, P. (2014). Another step closer to measuring the ghosts in the nursery: preliminary validation of the Trauma Reflective Functioning Scale. Frontiers in psychology, 5, 1471 https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01471.CrossRef

Fishburn, S., Meins, E., Greenhow, S., Jones, C., Hackett, S., Biehal, N., Baldwin, H., Cusworth, L., & Wade, J. (2017). Mind-mindedness in parents of looked-after children. Developmental Psychology, 53(10), 1954–1965. https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0000304.CrossRef

Flavell, J.H., Botkin, P.T., Fry, C.L., Wright, J.C., & Jarvis, P.E. (1968). The development of communication and role-taking skills in children. Wiley.

Fonagy, P., & Luyten, P. (2016). A Multilevel Perspective on the Development of Borderline Personality Disorder. In D. Cichetti (Ed.), Developmental Psychopathology (pp. 1-67). Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119125556.devpsy317.

Fonagy, P., Target, M., Steele, H., & Steele, M. (1998). Reflective-functioning manual, version 5.0, for application to adult attachment interviews [Unpublished manuscript]. University College London.

Fries, A. B. W., & Pollak, S. D. (2004). Emotion understanding in postinstitutionalized Eastern European children. Development and Psychopathology, 16(2), 355–369. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0954579404044554.

Garfield, J. L., Peterson, C. C., & Perry, T. (2001). Social cognition, language acquisition and the development of the theory of mind. Mind & Language, 16(5), 494–541. https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-0017.00180.CrossRef

Håkansson, U., Watten, R. G., Söderström, K., & Øie, M. G. (2019). The association between executive functioning and parental stress and psychological distress is mediated by parental reflective functioning in mothers with substance use disorder. Stress and Health, 35(4), 407–420. https://doi.org/10.1002/smi.2868.CrossRef

Harris, P. L., Johnson, C. N., Hutton, D., Andrews, G., & Cooke, T. (1989). Young children’s theory of mind and emotion. Cognition and Emotion, 3(4), 379–400. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699938908412713.CrossRef

Hoff, E. (2006). How social contexts support and shape language development. Developmental Review, 26(1), 55–88. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dr.2005.11.002.CrossRef

Hogrefe, G. J., Wimmer, H., & Perner, J. (1986). Ignorance versus false belief: A developmental lag in attribution of epistemic states. Child Development, 57(3), 567–582. https://doi.org/10.2307/1130337.CrossRef

Hwa-Froelich, D. A., Matsuo, H., & Becker, J. C. (2014). Emotion identification from facial expressions in children adopted internationally. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 23(4), 641–654. https://doi.org/10.1044/2014_ajslp-14-0009.

Hwa-Froelich, D. A., Matsuo, H., & Jacobs, K. (2017). False belief performance of children adopted internationally. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 26(1), 29–43. https://doi.org/10.1044/2016_ajslp-15-0152.CrossRef

Julian, M. M. (2013). Age at adoption from institutional care as a window into the lasting effects of early experiences. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 16(2), 101–145. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10567-013-0130-6.CrossRef

León, E., Steele, M., Palacios, J., Román, M., & Moreno, C. (2018). Parenting adoptive children: Reflective functioning and parent-child interactions. A comparative, relational and predictive study. Children and Youth Services Review, 95, 352–360. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2018.11.009.CrossRef

Luyten, P., Campbell, C., Allison, E., & Fonagy, P. (2020). The mentalizing approach to psychopathology: State of the art and future directions. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 16, 297–325. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-071919-015355.CrossRef

Luyten, P., & Fonagy, P. (2018). The stress–reward–mentalizing model of depression: An integrative developmental cascade approach to child and adolescent depressive disorder based on the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) approach. Clinical Psychology Review, 64, 87–98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2017.09.008.CrossRef

Luyten, P., Mayes, L. C., Nijssens, L., & Fonagy, P. (2017). The parental reflective functioning questionnaire: Development and preliminary validation. Plos One, 12(5), e0176218 https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0176218.CrossRef

Luyten, P., Nijssens, L., Fonagy, P., & Mayes, L. C. (2017). Parental reflective functioning: theory, research, and clinical applications. Psychoanalytic Study of the Child, 70(1), 174–199. https://doi.org/10.1080/00797308.2016.1277901.CrossRef

Luyten, P., Slade, A., Mayes, L., Vliegen, N., Casalin, S., Kempke, S., & Tang, E. (2008). Adoption Expectations Interview. Unpublished protocol. KU Leuven.

Malcorps, S., Vliegen, N., Nijssens, L., Tang, E., Casalin, S., Slade, A., & Luyten, P. (2021). Assessing reflective functioning in prospective adoptive parents. Plos One, 16(1), e0245852 https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0245852.CrossRef

Meins, E., Centifanti, L. C. M., Fernyhough, C., & Fishburn, S. (2013). Maternal mind-mindedness and children’s behavioral difficulties: Mitigating the impact of low socioeconomic status. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 41(4), 543–553. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-012-9699-3.CrossRef

Merz, E. C., & McCall, R. B. (2010). Behavior problems in children adopted from psychosocially depriving institutions. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 38(4), 459–470. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-009-9383-4.CrossRef

Midgley, N., Alayza, A., Lawrence, H., & Bellew, R. (2018). Adopting Minds—a mentalization-based therapy for families in a post-adoption support service: preliminary evaluation and service user experience. Adoption & Fostering, 42(1), 22–37. https://doi.org/10.1177/0308575917747816.CrossRef

Midgley, N., Ensink, K., Lindqvist, K., Malberg, N., & Muller, N. (2017). The development of mentalizing. In Mentalization-based treatment for children: A time-limited approach. American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/0000028-002.

Miller, B. C., Fan, X., Grotevant, H. D., Christensen, M., Coyl, D., & Van Dulmen, M. (2000). Adopted adolescents’ overrepresentation in mental health counseling: Adoptees’ problems or parents’ lower threshold for referral. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 39(12), 1504–1511. https://doi.org/10.1097/00004583-200012000-00011.CrossRef

Nijssens, L., Luyten, P., Malcorps, S., Vliegen, N., & Mayes, L. (2021). Parental reflective functioning and theory of mind acquisition: A developmental perspective. British Journal ōf Developmental Psychology, 39(4), 584–602. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjdp.12383.CrossRef

Nolte, T., Bolling, D. Z., Hudac, C. M., Fonagy, P., Mayes, L., & Pelphrey, K. A. (2013). Brain mechanisms underlying the impact of attachment-related stress on social cognition. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 7, 816–816. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2013.00816.CrossRef

Pajulo, M., Tolvanen, M., Karlsson, L., Halme‐Chowdhury, E., Öst, C., Luyten, P., Mayes, L., & Karlsson, H. (2015). The prenatal parental reflective functioning questionnaire: exploring factor structure and construct validity of a new measure in the Finn Brain Birth Cohort Pilot Study. Infant Mental Health Journal, 36(4), 399–414. https://doi.org/10.1002/imhj.21523.CrossRef

Preacher, K. J., Rucker, D. D., & Hayes, A. F. (2007). Addressing moderated mediation hypotheses: Theory, methods, and prescriptions. Multivariate Behavioral Research, 42(1), 185–227. https://doi.org/10.1080/00273170701341316.CrossRef

Priel, B., Melamed-Hass, S., Besser, A., & Kantor, B. (2000). Adjustment among adopted children: The role of maternal self-reflectiveness. Family Relations, 49(4), 389–396. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-3729.2000.00389.x.CrossRef

Redfern, S., Wood, S., Lassri, D., Cirasola, A., West, G., Austerberry, C., Luyten, P., Fonagy, P., & Midgley, N. (2018). The Reflective Fostering Programme: Background and development of a new approach. Adoption & Fostering, 42(3), 234–248. https://doi.org/10.1177/0308575918790434.CrossRef

Robinson, P., Skårderud, F., & Sommerfeldt, B. (2019). Eating Disorders and Mentalizing. In P. Robinson, F. Skårderud, & B. Sommerfeldt (Eds.), Hunger: Mentalization-based Treatments for Eating Disorders (pp. 35-49). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-95121-8_3.

Rosso, A. M., Viterbori, P., & Scopesi, A. M. (2015). Are maternal reflective functioning and attachment security associated with preadolescent mentalization. Frontiers in Psychology, 6, 1134 https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01134.CrossRef

Schechter, D. S., Suardi, F., Gex-Fabry, M., Moser, D. A., & Serpa, S. R. (2016). The role of maternal prementalizing modes of functioning and low-range RF in the development of child traumatic stress within a context of violence exposure. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 55(10), 320 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2016.07.349.CrossRef

Schiborr, J., Lotzin, A., Romer, G., Schulte-Markwort, M., & Ramsauer, B. (2013). Child-focused maternal mentalization: A systematic review of measurement tools from birth to three. Measurement, 46(8), 2492–2509. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.measurement.2013.05.007.CrossRef

Schwarzer, N.-H., Nolte, T., Fonagy, P., & Gingelmaier, S. (2021). Mentalizing and emotion regulation: Evidence from a nonclinical sample. International Forum of Psychoanalysis, 30(1), 34–45. https://doi.org/10.1080/0803706X.2021.1873418.CrossRef

Slade, A. (2005). Parental reflective functioning: An introduction. Attachment & Human Development, 7(3), 269–281. https://doi.org/10.1080/14616730500245906.CrossRef

Slade, A., Grunebaum, L., Huganir, L., & Reeves, M. (2007). The Pregnancy Interview-revised. City College of New York.

Steele, H., & Steele, M. (2008). On the origins of reflective functioning. In F. N. Bush (Ed.), Mentalization: Theoretical considerations, research findings, and clinical implications. (pp. 133-158). Analytic Press.

Steele, M., Henderson, K., Hodges, J., Kaniuk, J., Hillman, S., & Steele, H. (2007). In the best interests of the late-placed child: a report from attachment representations and adoption outcome study. In L. Mayes, P. Fonagy, & M. Target (Eds.), Developmental science and psychoanalysis: Integration and innovation (pp. 159–182). Karnac Books.

Steele, M., Hodges, J., Kaniuk, J., & Steele, H. (2009). Mental Representation and Change: Developing Attachment Relationships in an Adoption Context. Psychoanalytic Inquiry, 30(1), 25–40. https://doi.org/10.1080/07351690903200135.CrossRef

Tang, E., Bleys, D., & Vliegen, N. (2018). Making sense of adopted children’s internal reality using narrative story stem techniques: A mixed-methods synthesis. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 1189 https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01189.CrossRef

Tarullo, A. R., Bruce, J., & Gunnar, M. R. (2007). False belief and emotion understanding in post-institutionalized children. Social Development, 16(1), 57–78. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9507.2007.00372.x.CrossRef

Tarullo, A. R., Youssef, A., Frenn, K. A., Wiik, K., Garvin, M. C., & Gunnar, M. R. (2016). Emotion understanding, parent mental state language, and behavior problems in internationally adopted children. Development and Psychopathology, 28(2), 371–383. https://doi.org/10.1017/S095457941500111X.CrossRef

Taubner, S., Hörz, S., Fischer-Kern, M., Doering, S., Buchheim, A., & Zimmermann, J. (2013). Internal structure of the Reflective Functioning Scale. Psychological Assessment, 25(1), 127–135. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0029138.CrossRef

van den Dries, L., Juffer, F., van Ijzendoorn, M. H., & Bakermans-Kranenburg, M. J. (2009). Fostering security? A meta-analysis of attachment in adopted children. Children and Youth Services Review, 31(3), 410–421. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2008.09.008.CrossRef

van Ijzendoorn, M. H., Dijkstra, J., & Bus, A. G. (1995). Attachment, intelligence, and anguage: A meta-analysis. Social Development, 4(2), 115–128. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9507.1995.tb00055.x.CrossRef

Verhoeven, L., & Vermeer, A. (2001). Taaltoets Alle Kinderen: Handleiding. CITO.

Wellman, H. M., & Woolley, J. D. (1990). From simple desires to ordinary beliefs: The early development of everyday psychology. Cognition, 35(3), 245–275. https://doi.org/10.1016/0010-0277(90)90024-E.CrossRef

Weisleder, A., & Fernald, A. (2013). Talking to Children Matters: Early Language Experience Strengthens Processing and Builds Vocabulary. Psychological Science, 24(11), 2143–2152. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797613488145.

Wimmer, H., & Perner, J. (1983). Beliefs about beliefs: Representation and constraining function of wrong beliefs in young children’s understanding of deception. Cognition, 13(1), 103–128. https://doi.org/10.1016/0010-0277(83)90004-5.CrossRef

Titel: The Role of Parental Reflective Functioning for Theory of Mind Development in Internationally Adopted Children
Auteurs: Saskia Malcorps
Nicole Vliegen
Liesbet Nijssens
Patrick Luyten
Publicatiedatum: 18-11-2022
Uitgeverij: Springer US
Gepubliceerd in: Journal of Child and Family Studies / Uitgave 1/2023
Print ISSN: 1062-1024
Elektronisch ISSN: 1573-2843
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-022-02482-z

Bohn Stafleu van Loghum

Deel dit onderdeel of sectie (kopieer de link)

Abstract

Log in om toegang te krijgen

Andere artikelen Uitgave 1/2023

Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms and Parenting Competence among Israeli Male Veterans: The Mediating Roles of Experiential Avoidance and Parental Reflective Functioning

Relationship Between Parental Big Five And Children’s Ability To Delay Gratification

Family Functioning in Humanitarian Contexts: Correlates of the Feminist-Grounded Family Functioning Scale among Men and Women in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo

Racial Socialization Provision in African American and Black Caribbean Families

The Associations between Child Irritability, Parental Distress, Parental Irritability and Family Functioning in Children Accessing Mental Health Services

Family Structure and Child Behavior in the United Kingdom