Reflective functioning in parents of school-aged children

Area of Science:

• Developmental Psychology
• Attachment Theory
• Parent-Child Relationships

Background:

• Parental reflective functioning (RF) is linked to infant attachment security.
• Limited research exists on RF in parents of older children.
• Understanding RF in middle childhood is crucial for attachment development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate self- and child-focused components of parental RF in a high-risk sample.
• To examine associations between parental RF and parent/child attachment security.
• To explore the mediating role of parental RF in the parent-child attachment security relationship.

Main Methods:

• Study involved 117 parent-child dyads from a high-risk community sample.
• Parental RF was assessed for self- and child-focused factors.
• Parent and child attachment security were measured.

Main Results:

• Parental RF demonstrated both self- and child-focused components.
• Child-focused RF correlated with child attachment security, not parent attachment security.
• Child-focused RF mediated the relationship between parent attachment avoidance and child attachment security.

Conclusions:

• Parental RF extends to parents of school-age children.
• Child-focused RF is particularly important for child attachment security in middle childhood.
• Findings inform attachment theory, clinical practice, and policy for school-aged children.