Higher maternal reflective functioning is associated with toddlers’ adaptive emotion regulation

Abstract

Parental reflective functioning (RF), the ability to consider the child's behavior as a function of mental states (cognitions, emotions), is theorized to promote emotion regulation in children via its positive impact on parenting sensitivity. Using a sample of mothers and toddlers (N = 151 dyads; 41% Latinx; 54% girls; MAge = 21 months; SDAge = 2.5 months), we measured mothers’ self‐reported RF (high RF = low certainty/high interest–curiosity/low prementalizing), toddlers’ distress during a standardized challenging behavioral task (toy removal), and three methods of children's coping with distress. Then, we tested whether RF moderated the association between children's observed distress and coping during the task (mother‐directed adaptive coping, task‐directed adaptive coping, maladaptive aggression) as an index of emotion regulation. Although RF was not associated with toddlers’ distress, indices of RF moderated the associations between distress and coping. As maternal RF increased, the positive association between toddler distress and mother‐oriented behavior increased, whereas the association between toddler distress and child aggression decreased. Findings were present only for certainty of mental states, whereas no effects were present for prementalizing or interest/curiosity. We discuss these findings in terms of their contributions to theory regarding parent–child relationships, maternal RF, and child emotion regulation.

Parental Reflective Functioning as a Moderator for the Relationship Between Maternal Depression and Child Internalizing and Externalizing Problems

“…If a mother with low PRF does not recognize or misinterprets her child’s inner feelings and moods, she may ignore her child’s needs, which may result in feelings of neglect, helplessness, mistrust, and anxiety, and consequently may lead to internalizing problems in the child [ 20 , 44 ]. In other words, continuous mentalization and reflection upon underlying causes of behavior is crucial for developing emotion regulation, self-regulation, and a sense of security in children [ 45 , 46 ], which in turn help decrease internalizing and externalizing problems [ 47 , 48 ]. Previous research has shown similar results, indicating significant relationships between indices of PRF and internalizing and externalizing problems in preschoolers and school-aged children [ 21 , 44 ].…”

The role of household chaos on levels and trajectories of socioemotional behavior in the second year.

“…To date, a variety of family-based contextual factors have been identified as predictors of SoE development in early life. These include the family’s overall emotional climate as reflected by factors such as parents' emotional well-being and coparenting relationships (Gallegos et al, 2017), and indicators of parenting quality including sensitivity, mind-mindedness and reflective functioning, and infant–parent attachment relationships (Borelli et al, 2021; Morris et al, 2017), to name but a few. A construct less often examined in studies of infants and young children, but one that appears to play an important role in the quality of family life and child functioning, is household chaos (Deater-Deckard et al, 2009; Whitesell et al, 2015).…”

Maternal History of Adverse Experiences and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms Impact Toddlers’ Early Socioemotional Wellbeing: The Benefits of Infant Mental Health-Home Visiting

“…Importantly, young children presenting with externalizing and internalizing disorders may be adapting to parental behavior in order to sustain the attachment relationship, even if costly to their psychosocial development ( Sroufe, 2009 ; Borelli et al, 2020 ). Mothers who are experiencing intrusive thoughts while interacting with their infant may demonstrate behaviors that are disruptive to the infants’ affective communication, such as dissociation, aversive hostility, or withdrawal ( Lyons-Ruth et al, 1999 ).…”

“…For example, a secure mother–infant attachment not only promotes resiliency, but also protects against such behavioral issues ( Letourneau, 1997 ; Edwards et al, 2006 ; Cyr et al, 2010 ; Riva Crugnola et al, 2014 ). Higher parental cognitive empathy and reflective functioning, both of which measure the capacity to perceive and understand the emotional states of others, are connected to emotion regulation and social competence in children ( Wong et al, 2017 ; Borelli et al, 2020 ). Furthermore, higher frequency of shared pleasure moments in early childhood between mother and child have been shown to lower the likelihood of emotional/behavioral problems in children and moderate the possible negative effects of parental psychopathology on the development of children’s emotion regulation abilities ( Mäntymaa et al, 2015 ).…”