Parents’ reflective functioning and stress

The associations with preschoolers’ social understanding

Bibliographic Data

ID7155602
AuthorsEmiddia Longobardi (0000-0002-0997-0623, Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies Sapienza University of Rome Rome Italy, corresponding author), M Morelli (0000-0003-3463-3685, Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies Sapienza University of Rome Rome Italy), Matilde Brunetti (0000-0003-2809-6908, Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies Sapienza University of Rome Rome Italy), Stefania Sette (0000-0003-4953-0128, Department of Developmental and Social Psychology Sapienza University of Rome Rome Italy), Pietro Spataro (0000-0003-3204-4449, Faculty of Society and Communication Sciences Universitas Mercatorum Rome Italy), Fiorenzo Laghi (0000-0003-3969-4292, Department of Developmental and Social Psychology Sapienza University of Rome Rome Italy)
Year2025
Volume46
Issue3
Pages260-267
Publication date2025-05-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueInfant Mental Health Journal (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0163-9641 • E-ISSN: 1097-0355
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1002/imhj.22164
PMID39838902
OpenAlexW4406709733
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited50

Social understanding competence develops in sensitive and co‐regulating caregiver interactions. Parental reflective functioning (PRF) and parenting stress can affect children's social understanding. This study investigated if children's social understanding was associated with PRF and parenting stress. Parents of 305 Italian children aged from 24 to 72 months ( M = 48.2, SD = 13.9; 47.9% girls) completed an online survey. Parents completed the following questionnaire: The Parenting Stress Index—Short Form , the Parental Reflective Functioning Questionnaire , and the Children's Social Understanding Scale . Results showed that children's social understanding was predicted by lower parenting stress, b = .002, p = .017, and parent's interest and curiosity about the child's mental states, b = .07, p = .013. Findings confirm that high levels of parenting stress and low PRF constitute unfavorable conditions for preschoolers’ socio‐cognitive development. Thus, the present study can have implication for interventions aimed at improving children's social understanding that should focus on reducing parenting stress and enhancing parental mentalizing

Curiosity · Developmental psychology · Mentalization · Psychiatry · Psychological intervention · Social change · Social competence · Attachment and Relationship Dynamics · Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development · Clinical Psychology · Family and Disability Support Research · Psychology · Social Psychology

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