Do educators matter? Associations between caregivers’ mentalization and preschoolers’ attachment, social emotional development and theory of mind

ABSTRACT

Caregivers’ mentalization has gained importance in recent years, but most studies only include parental figures. Given empirical evidence showing the importance of educators in the development of preschoolers, this paper aims to assess how the mentalization and stress levels of parents and educational staff are related to attachment, ToM and social emotional development of children aged 3–4 years (M = 44.69 months, SD = 3.68, Gender = 53% girls) who attend preschool. A total of 146 preschoolers, their parents and 18 teachers are included in the sample. The results show higher levels of mentalization in educational staff compared to parents and positive relationship between the mentalization of both adults and ToM development in preschoolers. It was found a greater predictive weight of educational staff mentalization but this relation was mediated by family caregivers’ mentalization and its contribution loses strength in those cases where the parent shows low mentalization level.

KEYWORDS:

• Mentalization
• parents
• non-family caregivers
• preschool
• ToM

Acknowledgement

Special acknowledgments to Fondecyt Project N°1130786 and Millennium Institute for Research on Depression and Personality-MIDAP IS130005.

Disclosure statement

We wish to confirm that there are no known conflicts of interest associated with this publication. We confirm that we have given due consideration to the protection of intellectual property associated with this work and that there are no impediments to publication, including the timing of publication, with respect to intellectual property. We further confirm that any aspect of the work covered in this manuscript that has involved either experimental animals or human patients has been conducted with the ethical approval of all relevant bodies and that such approvals are acknowledged within the manuscript.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Fondo Nacional de Desarrollo Científico y Tecnológico [Grant Number 1130786] and “Millennium Institute for Research on Depression and Personality-MIDAP IS130005”.

Notes on contributors

Cecil Mata López

Cecil Mata López is PhD Candidate (University of Chile). Coordinator of the UC Early Childhood Program. Master in Educational Psychology.

María Pía Santelices Álvarez

María Pía Santelices Álvarez is Professor at the UC Faculty of Psychology. PhD in Psychology and Clinical Psychopathology (Université Lumiere-Lyon2). Clinical Psychologist.Director of the UC Early Childhood Program.

Alvaro Vergés Gómez

Alvaro Vergés Gómez is Professor at the UC Faculty of Psychology. PhD in Clinical Psychology (University of Missouri – Columbia). Psychologist at the University of Missouri.