Verbal and non-verbal parental mentalizing profiles: distinct profiles, different effects on infant attachment

Recent research in child developmental psychology has shed light on the key role played by parents’ capacity to make sense and interpret accurately child’s mental states (i.e., cognition, emotions) – namely parental mentalizing – on the quality of parent-infant relationships. Despite this increasing interest, previous research has examined parental mentalizing as a unidimensional construct focusing on verbal and explicit processes (i.e., mind-mindedness, parental reflective functioning, PRF). A recent tendency to consider the multidimensional nature of parental mentalizing is observed in current research, particularly by considering the verbal and non-verbal (i.e., parental embodied mentalizing, PEM) dimensions of parental mentalizing (Gagné et al., 2021; Shai et al., 2017; Shai & Meins, 2018). Consistent with these recent developments, this symposium includes three presentations that highlights the unique and complementary roles of verbal and non-verbal parental mentalizing for the parent-infant relationship. First presentation identifies the unique contribution of PEM to the longitudinal prediction of toddlers’ cognitive and linguistic development above and beyond sensitivity and PRF. Based on data collected in three different countries (Canada, England, and Israel), the second presentation shows four distinct profiles of verbal and non-verbal parental mentalizing: Low, High, Good Enough, and Non-Attuned. When compared to the Low profiles, Good Enough, High, and Non-Attuned profiles were associated with distinct infant attachment security and disorganized patterns. The last presentation reveals that exposure to attachment-based intervention was linked to a greater level of parental mind-mindedness and sensitivity. Together, these presentations shed light on how parent ability to mentalize verbally and non-verbally contributes to parent-infant interaction

Parental mentalizing profiles : When distinct patterns of verbal and nonverbal parental mentalizing profiles are associated with different effects on infant attachment

In the last 50 years, researchers have been intrigued by uncovering mechanisms involved in the development of parent-child attachment security. Contemporary researchers have identified parental mentalizing as an important contributor of child attachment security. Although empirical studies and a meta-analysis have highlighted the role played by parental mentalizing on child attachment, most of the research thus far has focused on verbal and explicit processes involved in parental mentalizing. To deepen understanding the role played by parental mentalizing, some researchers have recently been interested in the relative contributions of these two dimensions, verbal (i.e., mind-mindedness) and nonverbal (i.e., parental embodied mentalizing, PEM) parental mentalizing. Current studies tend to support the unique role played by verbal and nonverbal dimensions particularly on infant attachment security. However, how verbal and nonverbal parental mentalizing interact with one another on the individual level, and subsequently, how they relate to the parent-infant attachment relationship remains largely unknown. Using a person-centered approach, this study aimed to identify verbal and nonverbal mentalizing profiles and their associations with infant attachment (security and disorganization). Based on longitudinal studies from three different countries (Canada, United Kingdom, and Israel), the sample of this study included 412 mothers-infant dyads. Mind-mindedness (verbal) and PEM (nonverbal) were assessed based on observations made during a 15-minutes mother-infant interactions free play interactions when the infants were 6 to 8 months old according to two distinct observational procedures. Infant attachment security and disorganized were measured using The Strange Situation Procedure at 16 months. Through latent profile analyses, three distinct profiles based on verbal and nonverbal parental mentalizing profiles were identified (low consistent, high consistent, and inconsistent). Results showed that the low consistent profile, compared to high consistent or inconsistent one, had distinct associations regarding infant attachment security. Infant whose parents were in the low consistent-profile present more disorganization compared to high consistent-profile. To our knowledge, this study is the first to explore parental mentalizing profile based on verbal and nonverbal parental mentalizing and their associations with infant attachment. Our results thus highlight the importance of considering both aspects parental mentalization within the parent-infant relationship