Parental reflective functioning and maternal representations of the child in pregnancy: Their influence on affective communication between mothers and their young infants in families at risk
Item
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Title
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Parental reflective functioning and maternal representations of the child in pregnancy: Their influence on affective communication between mothers and their young infants in families at risk
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Identifier
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d_2009_2013:c31ad343a91a:10248
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identifier
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10304
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Creator
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Ueng-McHale, Jasmine Y.,
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Contributor
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Arietta Slade
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Date
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2009
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Clinical psychology | affective communication | parental reflective functioning | parent-infant psychotherapy
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Abstract
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The present study examines the relationship between parental reflective functioning during pregnancy and the quality of affective communication between mothers and their four-month-old babies during face-to-face interactions through empirical analysis. Maternal reflective functioning is thought to protect against disrupted patterns in affective communication between mothers and infants. This study also explores the relationships between parental reflective functioning, maternal representations of pregnancy and the unborn child, and later affective communication during mother-infant interactions through qualitative analysis of individual case studies.;The subjects were 33 first-time mothers and their four to six month old infants from a sample of at-risk families participating in the "Minding the Baby" intervention study (Slade, Sadler, De Dios-Kenn, Webb, Currier-Ezepchick, & Mayes, 2005; Slade, Sadler, & Mayes, 2005; Sadler, Slade, & Mayes, 2006). The Addendum to the Reflective Functioning Scoring Manual (Fonagy, Steele, Steele, & Target, 1998) for use with the Pregnancy Interview (Slade & Patterson, 2005) was used to rate maternal reflective functioning on the Pregnancy Interview---Short Form (Slade, Grunebaum, Huganir & Reeves, 1987; 2004). A Modification of the Atypical Maternal Behavior Instrument for Assessment and Classification (AMBIANCE) Scale (Kelly, 2004), originally developed by Karlen Lyons-Ruth and her colleagues (Bronfman, Parsons, Lyons-Ruth, 1999) was used to assess affective communication between mothers and their four-month old babies in videotaped face-to-face interactions.;Although results from the control group supported the study's major hypothesis, findings from the intervention group did not. For the control group, maternal reflective functioning during pregnancy did predict affective communication in mother-infant interactions. This was not the case for the intervention group. Treatment effects were thought to disrupt this relationship for mothers and infants participating in the intervention. Both groups evidenced significant limitations in reflective functioning. Ways in which pre-reflective functioning was manifested in maternal narrative and behavior are discussed. Two case studies are presented and implications for treatment are considered.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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2009_2013.csv
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degree
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Ph.D.
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Program
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Psychology
