1. Objectifs

Intentions :
«Using a longitudinal design, [this study] examined whether RF [reflective functioning] moderates associations between perceptions of parental rejection during childhood and current relationships with partners and infants.» (p. 924)

2. Méthode

Échantillon/Matériau :
«Between 1999 and 2002, pregnant women were recruited at the obstetrics clinic of a large hospital in Montréal, Canada. [P]rospective participants (n = 809) were first screened using the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI […]) [, and then] N = 108 completed the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI […]) during pregnancy […]. N = 77 had partners and completed the measures of dyadic cohesion at 5 months [...]. The women ranged in age from 18 to 41 years […].» (p. 924)

Instruments :
- Guide d’entretien semi-directif
- Questionnaires

Type de traitement des données :
Analyse de contenu
Analyse statistique

3. Résumé

Results show that reflective « functioning moderated the association between childhood rejection experiences with all three outcomes investigated [couple cohesion, parental sensibility and parent’s behaviors towards their child], but the nature of those moderation effects varied. Specifically, among mothers with high RF, higher rejection was not associated with lower couple cohesion (at 17 months only) or greater unresponsiveness in the same way as it was among mothers with low RF. However, among mothers with high RF, greater rejection was associated with more controlling behavior toward infants at 5 months postnatal more strongly than it was among mothers low in RF and high in rejection. [Also, as] hypothesized, RF buffered the association between retrospectively reported history of childhood rejection and romantic closeness. Only when mothers’ RF was at low levels, but not at mean or high levels, was higher parental rejection associated with lower couple cohesion when infants were 17 months old (but not at the 5-month postnatal period). Higher levels of RF may help couples adapt during the more distal postnatal period, facilitating cohesion and connectedness during a time when many couples struggle to maintain closeness […].» (p. 929) Finally, results show that «RF and rejection interacted to predict mothers’ unresponsiveness and controlling behavior toward infants. […] With respect to unresponsiveness, only when mothers’ self-focused RF was at low levels, were higher experiences of maternal rejection associated with higher levels of unresponsiveness during play.» (p. 930)