MATERNAL AND CHILD CHARACTERISTICS AS ANTECEDENTS OF MATERNAL MIND-MINDEDNESS

摘要

This article compares an expanded descriptive measure of maternal mind-mindedness to theoriginal measure. We included assessments of the valence and richness of descriptions given by 106 motherswhen asked to talk about their 18-month-old child (55 boys), in addition to assessing the proportion of mind-related descriptors. Contrary to previous findings, the proportion of mental descriptors was not associatedwith maternal sensitivity. However, the expanded measure revealed a significant positive link betweenpositive mind-mindedness and maternal sensitivity, and between richness of the description and maternalsensitivity. We then investigated predictors of positive maternal mind-mindedness. Maternal state of mindregarding past attachment experiences, psychological adjustment, and perception of the child's temperamentwere considered. The findings revealed that attachment state of mind and parenting stress constituteindependent predictors of positive mind-mindedness. These findings suggest that mind-mindedness isassociated not only with parental state of mind but also to current factors related to parenthood.