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Related Experiment Videos

Sensitivity, security and internal working models: bridging the transmission gap.

E Meins1

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of Durham, Science Laboratories, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, UK. elizabeth.meins@durham.ac.uk

Attachment & Human Development
|November 16, 2001
PubMed
Summary

Parental mind-mindedness may explain how caregivers' own attachment experiences and sensitive caregiving influence infant attachment security. This concept also sheds light on children's developing mentalizing abilities.

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Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Attachment Theory
  • Child Development

Background:

  • Attachment security is linked to caregivers' representations of their past attachment experiences.
  • Caregiver sensitivity to infant cues in the first year also predicts attachment security.
  • The underlying mechanisms connecting these factors to attachment security are not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To propose a new theoretical framework for understanding the evolution and transmission of attachment security.
  • To explore the role of parental mind-mindedness in linking caregiver representations and infant attachment security.
  • To investigate how attachment security influences children's mentalizing abilities.

Main Methods:

  • Theoretical review and conceptual analysis.

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  • Integration of existing empirical findings on attachment, caregiver representations, and sensitivity.
  • Application of the concept of parental mind-mindedness to attachment theory.

    • Main Results:

    • Parental mind-mindedness offers a potential mechanism explaining the link between caregivers' mental representations of attachment and infant attachment security.
    • This theoretical approach may elucidate the transmission of attachment security across generations.
    • Mind-mindedness may also help explain observed differences in mentalizing abilities related to attachment security.

    Conclusions:

    • Parental mind-mindedness is a key concept for understanding the development and transmission of attachment security.
    • This framework can bridge the gap between caregiver internal working models and infant attachment outcomes.
    • Future research should further explore the role of mind-mindedness in child development and mental health.