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Precursors and Effects of Self-reported Parental Reflective Functioning: Links to Parental Attachment Representations and Behavioral Sensitivity.

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Title: Precursors and Effects of Self-reported Parental Reflective Functioning: Links to Parental Attachment Representations and Behavioral Sensitivity.
Authors: Kungl, Melanie T. (AUTHOR), Gabler, Sandra (AUTHOR), White, Lars O. (AUTHOR), Spangler, Gottfried (AUTHOR), Vrticka, Pascal (AUTHOR)
Source: Child Psychiatry & Human Development. Dec2025, Vol. 56 Issue 6, p1598-1613. 16p.
Subjects: Parental sensitivity, Attachment behavior, Parenting, Psychological tests, Cognitive development, Maternal love
Abstract: Parental reflective functioning is thought to provide a missing link between caregivers' own attachment histories and their ensuing parenting behaviors. The current study sought to extend research on this association involving 115 parents, both mothers and fathers, of 5-to-6-year-old preschoolers using the German version of the Parental Reflective Functioning Questionnaire (PRFQ). Our study was the first to combine Adult Attachment Interview classifications of parental attachment, behavioral observations of parental sensitivity and PRFQ ratings while drawing on a sizable father subsample. We found theoretically consistent significant relations between all measures, while our results particularly highlighted the role of dismissing attachment for decreases in parenting quality on both cognitive and behavioral levels as the dismissing status differentially affected specific components of self-reported parental reflective functioning and observed sensitivity. Interestingly, these patterns were largely comparable in mothers and fathers. Exploratory mediation analyses further suggested that decreased parental reflective functioning may partially mediate the relationship between parents' dismissing attachment and decreased parental sensitivity. Thus, for prevention and intervention programs targeting parental sensitivity and thus children's long term healthy mental development, the interplay between parental reflective functioning and parents' own attachment history emerges as a key mechanism. Finally, our study served as a further validation of the PRFQ given the caveat that the pre-mentalizing subscale may need further revision in the German version. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Child Psychiatry & Human Development is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
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  Data: Precursors and Effects of Self-reported Parental Reflective Functioning: Links to Parental Attachment Representations and Behavioral Sensitivity.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Child+Psychiatry+%26+Human+Development%22">Child Psychiatry & Human Development</searchLink>. Dec2025, Vol. 56 Issue 6, p1598-1613. 16p.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Parental+sensitivity%22">Parental sensitivity</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Attachment+behavior%22">Attachment behavior</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Parenting%22">Parenting</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Psychological+tests%22">Psychological tests</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cognitive+development%22">Cognitive development</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Maternal+love%22">Maternal love</searchLink>
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  Label: Abstract
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  Data: Parental reflective functioning is thought to provide a missing link between caregivers' own attachment histories and their ensuing parenting behaviors. The current study sought to extend research on this association involving 115 parents, both mothers and fathers, of 5-to-6-year-old preschoolers using the German version of the Parental Reflective Functioning Questionnaire (PRFQ). Our study was the first to combine Adult Attachment Interview classifications of parental attachment, behavioral observations of parental sensitivity and PRFQ ratings while drawing on a sizable father subsample. We found theoretically consistent significant relations between all measures, while our results particularly highlighted the role of dismissing attachment for decreases in parenting quality on both cognitive and behavioral levels as the dismissing status differentially affected specific components of self-reported parental reflective functioning and observed sensitivity. Interestingly, these patterns were largely comparable in mothers and fathers. Exploratory mediation analyses further suggested that decreased parental reflective functioning may partially mediate the relationship between parents' dismissing attachment and decreased parental sensitivity. Thus, for prevention and intervention programs targeting parental sensitivity and thus children's long term healthy mental development, the interplay between parental reflective functioning and parents' own attachment history emerges as a key mechanism. Finally, our study served as a further validation of the PRFQ given the caveat that the pre-mentalizing subscale may need further revision in the German version. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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  Data: <i>Copyright of Child Psychiatry & Human Development is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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              Text: Dec2025
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