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Attachment and reflective function: their role in self-organization

P Fonagy1, M Target

  • 1Sub-Department of Clinical Health Psychology, University College London, UK. p.fonagy@ucl.ac.uk

Development and Psychopathology
|February 4, 1998
PubMed
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Early social relationships foster mentalization, the ability to understand mental states. This capacity, crucial for self-organization, develops through secure attachment and parental reflective function.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Neuroscience
  • Attachment Theory

Background:

  • Attachment processes significantly influence cognitive development.
  • The capacity to mentalize (have a "theory of mind") is fundamental for self-organization.
  • Early social relationships are critical for acquiring the ability to represent mental states.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the link between attachment and the development of mentalization.
  • To review evidence associating attachment quality with parental and child reflective function.
  • To propose a model for self-organization centered on caregiver-child interaction.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of attachment theory and theory of mind development.
  • Analysis of the association between attachment quality and reflective functioning.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Development of a theoretical model for self-organization.

    • Main Results:

    • Secure attachment is linked to enhanced reflective function in both parent and child.
    • Caregiver's communication of understanding the child's intentional stance is central to self-organization.
    • Maltreatment can lead to pathological self-development due to impaired mentalization.

    Conclusions:

    • Attachment quality is a key factor in developing the capacity to mentalize.
    • A caregiver's ability to mentalize supports the child's self-organization.
    • Understanding these developmental pathways is crucial for addressing psychopathology.