Parenting Representations: Theory, Research, and Clinical Implications

Cover......Page 1
Half-title......Page 3
Series-title......Page 5
Title......Page 7
Copyright......Page 8
Dedication......Page 9
Contents......Page 11
Illustrations......Page 13
Tables......Page 15
Appendixes......Page 17
Contributors......Page 19
Preface......Page 21
Acknowledgments......Page 25
Part i Theoretical Perspectives......Page 27
What’s on a Parent’s Mind......Page 29
The Place of Internal Working Models in Bowlby’s Theory......Page 31
The Adult Attachment Interview: A Conceptual
and Assessment Breakthrough......Page 32
The Parent Attachment Interview (PAI): Bretherton and Her Colleagues......Page 34
Parent Development Interview (PDI): Aber, Slade, and Colleagues......Page 36
Parent Development Interview (PDI): Modification by George
and Solomon......Page 38
Parent Development Interview (PDI): Modifications
by Pianta and Colleagues......Page 40
Working Model of the Child Interview (WMCI): Zeanah and Benoit......Page 41
Parenting Representations Interview – Adolescence (PRI-A):
Mayseless and Scharf......Page 44
Assessment of Particular Aspects in the Representations......Page 45
Parenting Representations Before the Baby Is Born......Page 47
Changes in Parents’ Representations Following Therapy......Page 48
General Summary of Research......Page 49
Assessment Aspects: Diversity of Coding Schemes......Page 52
Caregiving Representations: Demarcation from the AAI......Page 53
Internal Working Models of Caregiving......Page 54
Sources of Caregiving Representations......Page 56
One or Many IWMs of Caregiving?......Page 57
Future Directions......Page 58
References......Page 60
Abstract......Page 67
Literature Review......Page 69
Internal Working Models of Attachment......Page 70
Broadening the Focus on Representations: Parenting Relationships......Page 72
Research on the CPAP Adaptation of the Parent Development Interview......Page 76
Participants......Page 79
Measures of Maternal Characteristics......Page 80
Assessment of Mother–Child Interaction......Page 82
Descriptive Analyses......Page 83
Maternal Representations and Child Characteristics......Page 84
Prediction of Mother–Child Interaction......Page 85
Discussion......Page 87
Direction for Future Research......Page 92
Summary......Page 94
Appendix 2.1
Parent Development Interview, adapted from Aber, Slade, Berger,
Bresgi, & Kaplan, 1985......Page 95
General Code Points for Each Scale:......Page 96
Process Codes: Perspective Taking, Neutralizing/Defensive......Page 98
Affect Codes: Anger, Pleasure, Guilt, Worry/Anxiety about the Future,
Sadness/Pain......Page 99
References......Page 101
Abstract......Page 105
Parenting Goals......Page 107
Self-Efficacy......Page 108
Attributional Approaches......Page 109
Perspective-Taking and Knowledge of the Child......Page 113
Controlled and Automatic Cognition......Page 115
Automatic Processes of Emotion Regulation and Their Links to Parenting Cognitions......Page 117
Links between Mobilization and Minimization and Events in the Attachment Domain......Page 120
Similarities between Attachment and Social Cognitive Approaches......Page 123
Differences between Attachment and Social Cognitive Approaches......Page 124
Summary and Future Directions......Page 126
References......Page 127
Part ii Research Applications......Page 133
Abstract......Page 135
Infant Emotional Development: The “Relational Cocoon”......Page 136
Internal Working Models: Organizing and Reflecting
the Emotional Experience of Relationships......Page 137
The Affective Organization of Parenting: Links with Parents’
Representations of Their Children......Page 139
Engagement Processes......Page 142
Emotion Regulation Processes......Page 144
Rethinking Sensitivity: The Role of Emotional Processes......Page 145
Assessing the “Emotional Dance” between Parents and Infants......Page 146
The Michigan Family Study......Page 148
Maternal Representations of the Infant: The “Working Model
of the Child Interview”......Page 149
Mothers’ Attributions Regarding Infant Emotion: The IFEEL Task......Page 151
Maternal and Infant Affective Behavior During the Still Face......Page 152
Emotion Activation: Associations between the WMCI and the Affective Tone
of the Representation......Page 153
Emotional Engagement: Associations between the WMCI, Emotion
Attributions, and Behavioral Displays......Page 156
“Getting the Message”: Links between Mothers’ Representations, Affective
Displays, and Infant Emotion Regulation......Page 162
Conclusions......Page 163
Validity......Page 165
Sample WMCI Questions......Page 166
Caregiving Sensitivity (Zeanah & Benoit, 1995)......Page 167
Helplessness in Parenting (Rosenblum, Muzik, & Dayton, 2002)......Page 168
III. Affective Tone of the Representation of the Child
(Zeanah & Benoit, 1995)......Page 169
Distorted......Page 170
References......Page 171
Abstract......Page 175
Representations of Parent–Child Relationships, Their Function
and Development......Page 176
Maternal Representations......Page 177
Child’s Representations of Close Relationships......Page 179
Links Between the Mother’s and the Child’s Representations
of Relationships......Page 180
Research Design and Participants......Page 182
Parenting Representations at Six Years......Page 183
Mother–Infant Interaction and Parenting Representations......Page 185
Representation of the Mother Figure by the Child......Page 187
The Maternal Figure and Mothers’ Parenting Variables......Page 188
Mothers’ Sensitivity as a Precursor of Later Parenting Representations......Page 189
The Mother Figure, and Her Absence, in the Child’s Narratives......Page 191
The Trans-Generational Hypothesis: Partial Support
and Applied Implications......Page 192
Protection: A Meeting Point Between Mother’s and Child’s Views
on Parenting......Page 194
Summary......Page 195
(3) Representations of the Parent–Child Relationships......Page 196
References......Page 197
Abstract......Page 203
Societal Change......Page 208
Sample......Page 209
The Parent Attachment Interview (PAI)......Page 210
Findings......Page 211
Memory Issues......Page 212
Discussion of Modeling and Reworking (General)......Page 215
Discussion of Intergenerational Reworking and Modeling in Specific Parenting Domains......Page 218
Memory......Page 226
Intergenerational Transmission: Compensation and Modeling......Page 227
How Real Is Generational Change?......Page 229
References......Page 231
Abstract......Page 234
Current Assessment Methods of Parenting Representations With Infants and Young Children......Page 236
Parenting Adolescents......Page 237
The Parenting Representations Interview – Adolescence (PRI–A)
(Scharf & Mayseless, 1997/2000)......Page 238
Coding Scales of the PRI–A......Page 239
Developmental Tasks of Late Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood......Page 245
Sample......Page 246
Procedure......Page 247
Measures......Page 248
The Association Between Mothers’ State of Mind
and Parenting Representations......Page 250
The Association Between Parenting Representations and Son’s Coping
With Separation During the Leaving Home Transition......Page 252
The Association Between Parenting Representations and
the Son’s Psychosocial Functioning: Time 3 Assessment......Page 255
Discussion......Page 257
References......Page 260
Abstract......Page 265
The Role of Fathers......Page 266
Attitudes Towards Childrearing......Page 267
Relationship of Fathers with Their Own Mother and Father and Their Childrearing Attitudes......Page 268
Fathers’ Own Attachment Concerns and Their Attitudes to Childrearing......Page 270
Parental Beliefs and Attitudes: Child Rearing Practice Report – CRPR
(Block, 1981)......Page 272
Attachment Concerns: Attachment Concerns and Close-Relationships Questionnaire (Hazan & Shaver, 1987; adapted by Mayseless, 1995)......Page 273
Results......Page 274
How Do Fathers’ Perceived Relationships with Their Own Parents Relate to
Their Childrearing Attitudes?......Page 275
How are Fathers’ Attachment Concerns Reflected
in Their Parental Attitudes?......Page 276
Fathers’ Parenting Attitudes and Their Perceived Relationships
with Their Own Parents......Page 277
Fathers’ Attachment Concerns and Their Relationships
with Their Own Parents......Page 278
Childrearing Attitudes in Light of Attachment Concern......Page 279
Limitations of the Study......Page 280
Models and Research Agenda......Page 282
II. Expressive/Nurturance......Page 283
References......Page 284
Part iii Clinical Implications......Page 289
Abstract......Page 291
Lack of Resolution of Loss and Trauma and the Development of Disorganized Attachment......Page 292
Differentiating the Attachment and Caregiving Systems......Page 295
Mothers’ and Children’s Representations of Their Relationship......Page 296
Overview of Sample, Procedures, and Measures......Page 298
Results......Page 299
Life Events Coding from the AAI and Child Reunion-Based
Attachment Classifications......Page 301
Qualitative Analyses: Capturing Dysregulated Representation
and Behavior in Adult Attachment......Page 304
Protective Representational Elements......Page 307
I. Mother: Sara (Mother Classified E3, Child Classified
Controlling-Punitive (D1) in Reunion)......Page 308
II. Mother: Simone (Mother Classified as E1 on the AAI; Child
Classified as Controlling-Caregiving (D2))......Page 310
III. Mother: Rachel (Mother Classified as E1 (Preoccupied)
on the AAI; Child Classified as Ambivalent (C))......Page 313
Conclusions......Page 315
References......Page 318
Abstract......Page 322
Caregiver Representations in the Context of Foster Care......Page 323
An Evolutionary Perspective on Caregiver Investment......Page 324
Biological Adaptations Associated with Pregnancy......Page 325
Comparing Parenting Representations of Maternal
and Non-Maternal Caregivers......Page 326
Optimal Investment Among Foster Parents......Page 328
Child Effects on Caregiver Investment......Page 329
Interview Reflecting High Levels of Emotional Investment......Page 331
Interview Reflecting Low Levels of Emotional Investment......Page 333
Effects of Foster Parent Investment on Foster Children’s
Socio-Emotional Development......Page 335
Clinical Implications......Page 336
Appendix 10.1 “This is My Baby” Interview......Page 338
Coding System......Page 339
References......Page 341
Abstract......Page 345
Intergenerational Transmission of Parenting: Clinical
and Theoretical Perspectives......Page 347
Psychodynamically Oriented Conceptualizations......Page 348
Intergenerational Transmission from an Attachment Theory Perspective......Page 351
Case Examples Highlighting Diverse Modes of Intergenerational Transmission......Page 354
The Nurtured Mother Nurturing Her Son: Replication
of a Flexible Script......Page 355
The Father “Eager for Openness” and His Daughter: Partial Correction......Page 357
The Unaware Coercive Mother and her Daughter: Re-enactment
of Past Experiences – Like Mother (and Grandmother), Like Daughter......Page 360
From Submissive Son to Submissive Father:
Re-enacting the Victim Role......Page 363
Mother Who Succeeded in Creating Favorable Experiences for Her
Daughter – Successful Correction of Difficult Past Experiences......Page 366
Intergenerational Transmission of Parenting Adolescents:
Overt Behaviors and Covert Motives......Page 369
Clinical and Research Implications......Page 373
References......Page 374
Abstract......Page 378
Psychoanalytic Theory on Representation Development......Page 379
Attachment Theory and Representation Development......Page 381
Distinguishing Mothers’ from Fathers’ Representations......Page 382
Research on Links between Parental and Child’s Representations......Page 383
Applying the CCRT Method and the WMCI to the Study of Relational
Parent–Child Representations......Page 385
The Mother’s RE in Relation to Joy......Page 390
The Father’s RE in Relation to Joy......Page 393
Mother’s RE in Relation to Noa......Page 397
The Father’s RE in Relation to Noa......Page 399
Interplay of Parent–Child Relational Representations......Page 402
Implications for Psychotherapy......Page 404
Conclusion: Relational Themes and Relational Organization......Page 407
References......Page 408
Abstract......Page 414
Parenting and Protection......Page 416
Safety, Comfort, and Sex......Page 417
The Process of Mental Representation......Page 418
What Kinds of Dispositional Representations Are There?......Page 419
How Do Parents Affect Children’s Representations?......Page 423
From Representation to Strategy......Page 425
How Does Perception of Danger Affect Behavior?......Page 428
Representation and Inadequate Childrearing......Page 430
Distortions of Normal Child-Protective Behavior......Page 431
Distortions that Emphasize Self-Protective Behavior......Page 434
Distortions that Substitute Delusional Information for Accurate Information......Page 442
Parental Behavior and DRs......Page 447
Conclusions and Clinical Implications......Page 449
Representing the Childrearing Context......Page 450
A Conceptual Model of Inadequate Childrearing......Page 451
Treatment......Page 452
References......Page 455
Index......Page 461