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Updated: Jun 24, 2025

Assessing the Coherence of Parents' Short Narratives Regarding their Child Using the Five-Minute Speech Sample Procedure
Published on: September 19, 2019
Parents' mental state language and child gender: A scoping review of developmental evidence
Callyn Farrell1, Ellen Sanderson1, Aisling Mulvihill1
1School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Abstract:
Mental state language (MSL) is an important mechanism through which children learn about their social world and place within it. Previous research has suggested that parents may use MSL differently towards children based on their child's gender. However, findings are inconsistent. This scoping review explores the consistency of reported differences in parents' MSL use as a function of children's gender while exploring the methodological variables that may provide insights into these differences. Based on a review of the 27 studies included, 12 found a significant relationship between child gender and parents' MSL, while the remaining did not. The included studies used a range of methodological approaches to elicit MSL. This scoping review allows researchers and practitioners to reflect upon assumptions regarding the associations between child gender and parents' MSL. Further, we call for the use of diverse and informed approaches when studying these associations from a developmental perspective in the future.
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