Continuity in mind-mindedness from pregnancy to the first year of life.
Relations between parents' representations of the unborn child and postpartum infant-parent interaction were investigated in 25 couples and 3 solo mothers. In the last trimester of pregnancy, participants reported on involvement with the fetus and predicted what the unborn child would be like at age 6 months. Mothers (n=21) and fathers (n=17) were observed during separate interactions with their 6-month olds, which yielded measures of their tendency appropriately to interpret their infants' internal states (mind-mindedness). Parents' involvement with the fetus was unrelated to antenatal predictions and to postnatal mind-mindedness. Parents who had predicted more about the unborn child's characteristics were more likely to comment appropriately on their infants' internal states during infant-parent interaction. For fathers, overall antenatal predictions were also positively associated with misinterpretations of their infants' thoughts and feelings. Findings are discussed with reference to mind-mindedness being governed by caregiver-centered factors and differences between mothers and fathers in caregiving practices.
Arnott
Bronia
B
Child Development Unit, Wolfson Research Institute, Durham University, Queen's Campus, Stockton on Tees TS17 6BH, UK. B.M.Arnott@durham.ac.uk
Meins
Elizabeth
E
D000328:Adult; D001290:Attitude; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007224:Infant Care / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology* / Q000639:trends*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019222:Mind-Body Relations, Metaphysical; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010332:Paternal Behavior; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D013850:Thinking; D055815:Young Adult