Maternal Mentalization and Behavior Under Stressful Contexts: The Moderating Roles of Prematurity and Household Chaos

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24 Scopus citations

Abstract

This study examines the links between online maternal mentalization during mother–infant interaction, maternal sensitivity, and family triadic interaction while considering the cumulative role of two stressful contexts (cumulative stressful contexts): premature birth (a child-driven stressful context) and household chaos (an environment-driven stressful context). Two moderation models were tested on a sample of 134 families with 6-month-old infants (77 low-risk preterm, 57 full-term). Cumulative stressful contexts mitigated the relations between maternal mentalization and behavior, such that online maternal mentalization during mother–infant interaction was related to both maternal sensitivity and the quality of family triadic interaction under low cumulative stressful contexts, but not under high cumulative stressful contexts. Implications for understanding the influence of online maternal mentalization on maternal sensitivity and the family triad are discussed.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)591-615
Number of pages25
JournalInfancy
Volume23
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Jul 2018

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Pediatrics, Perinatology, and Child Health
  • Developmental and Educational Psychology

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