Temporal, contextual, and relational variability of maternal mind-mindedness and child communicative development in the second year of life

ABSTRACT

We report two studies that investigated the continuity and stability of maternal mind-mindedness (MM) across different times, contexts, and relationships, and also examined child communicative development in the second year of life. Three main findings emerged. First, the percentages of appropriate mind-related comments (AMRC) decreased between 16 and 20 months, while the children’s production of words and gestures increased. Second, mothers addressed more AMRC to secondborns than to firstborns, when both were tested at the same age (16 months), but firstborns produced more gestures than secondborns (both at 16 and 20 months). Third, unlike mothers’ general language measures and child communicative skills, MM was temporally, contextually, and relationally unstable. Overall, these findings suggest caution in considering MM as a stable behavioural trait. It appears, instead, that the production of AMRC may vary according to a wide range of factors.

KEYWORDS:

• Mind-mindedness
• child communicative development
• stability
• continuity
• appropriate mind-related comments
• mother-child interaction

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

Data are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Emiddia Longobardi

Emiddia Longobardi, PhD, is a full professor of Developmental and Educational Psychology at Sapienza University of Rome, Italy. Her current research interests concern language development, bimodal communication, parent-child interaction, theory of mind, pragmatic abilities, and executive functions.

Pietro Spataro

Pietro Spataro is an associate professor of Psychology of cognitive and emotional processes at the University Mercatorum of Rome. His current research interests focus on developmental psychology (theory of mind, language, and emotional regulation) and cognitive psychology (attention and memory).

Martina Calabrò

Martina Calabrò received her PsyD at Sapienza University of Rome, Italy. Her research interests focus on parent-child relationships, behavioural problems, psychological testing and diagnosis.

Matilde Brunetti

Matilde Brunetti is pursuing PhD in the Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies at Sapienza University of Rome, Italy. Her research project focuses on social withdrawal, solitude, and loneliness in childhood and adolescence.

Mara Morelli

Mara Morelli is an assistant professor of Developmental and Educational Psychology at Sapienza University of Rome, Italy. Her research interests are focused on developmental psychology (language, social comprehension, and emotion regulation), parent-child relationships, and protective and risk factors in adolescence.

Fiorenzo Laghi

Fiorenzo Laghi, PhD, is a full professor of Developmental and Educational Psychology at Sapienza, University of Rome. His primary research interests focus on the prevention of risk behaviours and the promotion of positive outcomes for at-risk child and adolescent populations.