Mind-mindedness in parents of looked-after children

Bibliographic Data

ID9787264
AuthorsSarah Fishburn (0000-0003-2265-6521, University of York, corresponding author), Elizabeth Meins (0000-0002-5375-6448, University of York), Sarah Greenhow (0000-0002-1784-5347, Liverpool John Moores University), Christine Jones (0000-0001-9466-5844, University of Strathclyde), Simon Hackett (0000-0002-3275-9324, Durham University), Nina Biehal (0000-0002-1341-2544, University of York), Helen Baldwin (0000-0003-0027-504X, University of York), Linda Cusworth (0000-0002-4694-992X, University of York), Jim Wade (0000-0002-2882-9684, University of York)
Year2017
Volume53
Issue10
Pages1954-1965
Publication date2017-10-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueDevelopmental Psychology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0012-1649 • E-ISSN: 1939-0599
PublisherAmerican Psychological Association (APA) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1037/dev0000304
PMID28758783
OpenAlexW2611726141
LanguageEN
Citations received18
References cited25

The studies reported here aimed to test the proposal that mind-mindedness is a quality of personal relationships by assessing mind-mindedness in caregiver-child dyads in which the relationship has not spanned the child's life or in which the relationship has been judged dysfunctional. Studies 1 and 2 investigated differences in mind-mindedness between adoptive parents (ns = 89, 36) and biological parents from the general population (ns = 54, 114). Both studies found lower mind-mindedness in adoptive compared with biological parents. The results of Study 2 showed that this group difference was independent of parental mental health and could not fully be explained in terms of children's behavioral difficulties. Study 3 investigated differences in mind-mindedness in foster carers (n = 122), parents whose children had been the subject of a child protection plan (n = 172), and a community sample of biological parents (n = 128). The level of mind-mindedness in foster carers and parents who were involved with child protection services was identical and lower than that in the community sample; children's behavioral difficulties could not account for the difference between the 2 groups of biological parents. In all 3 studies, nonbiological carers' tendency to describe their children with reference to preadoption or placement experiences was negatively related to mind-mindedness. These findings are in line with mind-mindedness being a relational construct. (PsycINFO Database Record

Child development · Cognitive psychology · Developmental psychology · Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development · Early Childhood Education and Development · Family and Disability Support Research · Psychology

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