Adult Romantic Attachment and Parental Reflective Functioning in Parents of Pre-School Children: An Association Study With a Sex-Sensitive Approach

Abstract

Background: Parental reflective functioning (PRF) has important developmental roles in the offspring. The relationship between parents’ attachment style and PRF, as well as their intergenerational transmission, have been object of investigation in recent years, however, the studies have been mostly limited to mothers and conducted with semi-structured interviews. We aimed to assess this relationship using self-reports (PRF Questionnaire and Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised), and discuss their impact on child development. Methods: A total of 240 parents of 262 pre-school children were recruited via online methods. They completed both questionnaires as well as data regarding sex and age of parents and children. General linear models were conducted to assess the relationship between PRF and attachment dimensions, controlled by potential sex and age confounders. Results: Anxious attachment was significantly associated with the “prementalization” and “certainty about mental states” subscales, with the models explaining 15.8% and 7% of their variability. These associations remained constant when performing sex-disaggregated analyses, and in both cases the sex-specific models explained a greater variability in men than in women. Attachment style didn’t show any significant associations with the “interest and curiosity” subscale, nonetheless, differences between fathers and mothers in this latter dimension were also observed in the univariate analysis. Conclusions: Parental attachment styles are significantly associated with specific PRF domains, and these associations differ between mothers and fathers. Our results replicate previous findings, obtained mostly with interview-based assessments, and incorporate a sex-specific approach. Finally, the impact of PRF and adult attachment on the socio-emotional and behavioral development of the offspring is reviewed and discussed, as well as the clinical implications that could be derived from the extensive use of these tools.