Preliminary evidence suggests that reflective functioning (RF), or the ability to understand that mental states underlie behavior in the self and others (also called mentalizing), appears to be a protective factor against the development of psychopathology among adults who have experienced early abuse and neglect. The associations among early adverse experiences, RF, and attachment security have yet to be examined in adolescence. The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether RF moderates the link between early neglect from primary caregivers and insecure attachment in adolescents. Specifically, in this study the authors test the hypothesis that neglect is less strongly associated with insecure attachment among adolescents with high RF. Seventy-nine adolescents (39 male) recruited from a community research center completed the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI). Three sets of independent raters scored the AAI for inferred parental neglect, attachment classification, and RF, respectively. The results of a binary logistic regression revealed that RF moderated the association between neglect and attachment: Neglect was only associated with insecure attachment among adolescents with low to moderate RF. The results of the study have the potential to inform our understanding of the evolution of the internal working model of attachment and mentalization during adolescence.

Reflective functioning moderates the association between perceptions of parental neglect and attachment in adolescence

COMPARE, Angelo;
2015-01-01

Abstract

Preliminary evidence suggests that reflective functioning (RF), or the ability to understand that mental states underlie behavior in the self and others (also called mentalizing), appears to be a protective factor against the development of psychopathology among adults who have experienced early abuse and neglect. The associations among early adverse experiences, RF, and attachment security have yet to be examined in adolescence. The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether RF moderates the link between early neglect from primary caregivers and insecure attachment in adolescents. Specifically, in this study the authors test the hypothesis that neglect is less strongly associated with insecure attachment among adolescents with high RF. Seventy-nine adolescents (39 male) recruited from a community research center completed the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI). Three sets of independent raters scored the AAI for inferred parental neglect, attachment classification, and RF, respectively. The results of a binary logistic regression revealed that RF moderated the association between neglect and attachment: Neglect was only associated with insecure attachment among adolescents with low to moderate RF. The results of the study have the potential to inform our understanding of the evolution of the internal working model of attachment and mentalization during adolescence.
journal article - articolo
2015
Borelli, Jessica L.; Compare, Angelo; Snavely, Jonathan E.; Decio, Valentina
File allegato/i alla scheda:
File Dimensione del file Formato  
REFLECTIVE FUNCTIONING MODERATES THE.pdf

Solo gestori di archivio

Versione: publisher's version - versione editoriale
Licenza: Licenza default Aisberg
Dimensione del file 153.6 kB
Formato Adobe PDF
153.6 kB Adobe PDF   Visualizza/Apri
Pubblicazioni consigliate

Aisberg ©2008 Servizi bibliotecari, Università degli studi di Bergamo | Terms of use/Condizioni di utilizzo

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/10446/31058
Citazioni
  • Scopus 52
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 47
social impact