Explaining the Relation between Early Mind-Mindedness and Children’s Mentalizing Abilities: The Development of an Observational Preschool Assessment

Sarah Fishburn; Elizabeth  Meins; Charles Fernyhough; Luna Munoz Centifanti; Fionnuala Larkin

doi:10.1037/dev0001272

Explaining the Relation between Early Mind-Mindedness and Children’s Mentalizing Abilities: The Development of an Observational Preschool Assessment

Sarah Fishburn, Elizabeth Meins, Charles Fernyhough, Luna Munoz Centifanti , Fionnuala Larkin

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

333 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

The aim of this research was to develop a new observation-based measure for assessing caregivers’ mind-mindedness in the preschool years and investigate whether this measure could explain the link between mothers’ early appropriate mind-related comments and children’s later mentalizing abilities. The new measure was developed using a sample of mothers and 44-month-olds (N=171), characterizing mind-mindedness in terms of (a) solicited child involvement, (b) adaptive communication, and (c) internal state talk. These indices were positively related to established assessments of mind-mindedness at 8, 44, and 61 months. Positive associations were also observed with children’s later mentalizing abilities. The new measure of mind-mindedness did not, however, mediate the relation between mind-mindedness in the first year of life and children’s mentalizing abilities.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	17-31
Journal	Developmental Psychology
Volume	58
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0001272
Publication status	Published - 20 Dec 2021

Access to Document

10.1037/dev0001272

Full textAccepted author manuscript, 106 KBLicence: CC BY-NC-ND
Figure_1Accepted author manuscript, 161 KBLicence: CC BY-NC-ND
Figure_2_Accepted author manuscript, 31.8 KBLicence: CC BY-NC-ND
Figure_3_Accepted author manuscript, 59.7 KBLicence: CC BY-NC-ND

Embargoed Document

Full text - not yet been published
Submitted manuscript, 221 KB
Licence: CC BY-NC-ND

Embargoed Document

Full text - not yet been published
Submitted manuscript, 89.6 KB
Licence: CC BY-NC-ND

Cite this

@article{ca1a0eb611ab462fb5c17764c26a7a76,

title = "Explaining the Relation between Early Mind-Mindedness and Children{\textquoteright}s Mentalizing Abilities: The Development of an Observational Preschool Assessment",

abstract = "The aim of this research was to develop a new observation-based measure for assessing caregivers{\textquoteright} mind-mindedness in the preschool years and investigate whether this measure could explain the link between mothers{\textquoteright} early appropriate mind-related comments and children{\textquoteright}s later mentalizing abilities. The new measure was developed using a sample of mothers and 44-month-olds (N=171), characterizing mind-mindedness in terms of (a) solicited child involvement, (b) adaptive communication, and (c) internal state talk. These indices were positively related to established assessments of mind-mindedness at 8, 44, and 61 months. Positive associations were also observed with children{\textquoteright}s later mentalizing abilities. The new measure of mind-mindedness did not, however, mediate the relation between mind-mindedness in the first year of life and children{\textquoteright}s mentalizing abilities.",

author = "Sarah Fishburn and Elizabeth Meins and Charles Fernyhough and {Munoz Centifanti}, Luna and Fionnuala Larkin",

year = "2021",

month = dec,

day = "20",

doi = "10.1037/dev0001272",

language = "English",

volume = "58",

pages = "17--31",

journal = "Developmental Psychology",

issn = "0012-1649",

publisher = "American Psychological Association",

number = "1",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Explaining the Relation between Early Mind-Mindedness and Children’s Mentalizing Abilities: The Development of an Observational Preschool Assessment

AU - Fishburn, Sarah

AU - Meins, Elizabeth

AU - Fernyhough, Charles

AU - Munoz Centifanti , Luna

AU - Larkin, Fionnuala

PY - 2021/12/20

Y1 - 2021/12/20

N2 - The aim of this research was to develop a new observation-based measure for assessing caregivers’ mind-mindedness in the preschool years and investigate whether this measure could explain the link between mothers’ early appropriate mind-related comments and children’s later mentalizing abilities. The new measure was developed using a sample of mothers and 44-month-olds (N=171), characterizing mind-mindedness in terms of (a) solicited child involvement, (b) adaptive communication, and (c) internal state talk. These indices were positively related to established assessments of mind-mindedness at 8, 44, and 61 months. Positive associations were also observed with children’s later mentalizing abilities. The new measure of mind-mindedness did not, however, mediate the relation between mind-mindedness in the first year of life and children’s mentalizing abilities.

AB - The aim of this research was to develop a new observation-based measure for assessing caregivers’ mind-mindedness in the preschool years and investigate whether this measure could explain the link between mothers’ early appropriate mind-related comments and children’s later mentalizing abilities. The new measure was developed using a sample of mothers and 44-month-olds (N=171), characterizing mind-mindedness in terms of (a) solicited child involvement, (b) adaptive communication, and (c) internal state talk. These indices were positively related to established assessments of mind-mindedness at 8, 44, and 61 months. Positive associations were also observed with children’s later mentalizing abilities. The new measure of mind-mindedness did not, however, mediate the relation between mind-mindedness in the first year of life and children’s mentalizing abilities.

U2 - 10.1037/dev0001272

DO - 10.1037/dev0001272

M3 - Article

SN - 0012-1649

VL - 58

SP - 17

EP - 31

JO - Developmental Psychology

JF - Developmental Psychology

IS - 1

ER -

Explaining the Relation between Early Mind-Mindedness and Children’s Mentalizing Abilities: The Development of an Observational Preschool Assessment

Abstract

Access to Document

Embargoed Document

Embargoed Document

Fingerprint

Cite this