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Reflective functioning, physiological reactivity, and overcontrol in mothers: Links with school-aged children's
Jessica L Borelli1, Kajung Hong1, Hannah F Rasmussen2
1Department of Psychology and Social Behavior, University of California, Irvine.
Developmental Psychology
|June 23, 2017
Summary
Parental reflective functioning (PRF) helps mothers stay sensitive and avoid overcontrol (OC) when stressed. High PRF protects children
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Maternal Mental Health
- Child Psychology
Background:
- Parental reflective functioning (PRF) is theorized to support sensitive parenting during emotional arousal.
- Understanding children's mental states is crucial for effective parenting, especially under stress.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine if maternal PRF mitigates overcontrol (OC) during physiological reactivity.
- To investigate if this process influences children's reflective functioning (RF).
Main Methods:
- Mothers and school-age children underwent a stressor task; maternal behavior was coded for OC.
- Mothers' cortisol reactivity was measured via saliva samples.
- Maternal and child interviews were coded for reflective functioning (RF).
Main Results:
- High maternal PRF buffered the association between cortisol reactivity and overcontrol (OC).
- Low PRF mothers showed increased OC with higher cortisol reactivity.
- For mothers with low PRF, higher reactivity and OC predicted lower child RF.
Conclusions:
- Maternal PRF demonstrates a protective function, reducing insensitive parenting under stress.
- Findings suggest PRF interventions may help reduce parental overcontrol.
- Promoting PRF is important for fostering children's reflective functioning.
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