| Abstract: | Parental reflective functioning (PRF) is a robust predictor of parenting sensitivity and secure infant attachment, but its assessment requires extensive resources, limiting its integration into research and clinical practice. The Mini‐Parent Reflective Functioning Interview (Mini‐PRFI) assesses the parent's capacity to mentalize for his/her 6‐month‐old infant (rated using the PRF coding system; Slade et al., 2004, PRF coding system and Slade REF, Unpublished protocol, New York, NY: The City University of New York). In the current study, we examined whether Mini‐PRFI scores were associated with theoretically related constructs; to establish a point of comparison, we evaluated links between Mini‐PRFI scores alongside RF assessed from the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI). Mother–infant dyads (N = 88) completed the AAI before the birth of the infant, the Mini‐PRFI and an interaction task (rated for insensitive parental behavior) when infants were 6 months old, as well as the Strange Situation Procedure when infants were 16 months old. Mini‐PRFI scores were strongly positively associated with AAI RF and negatively associated with maternal insensitivity. Mini‐PRFI scores predicted infant attachment organization (secure/insecure, organized/disorganized) at 16 months, and this effect was mediated by parenting insensitivity. These findings suggest that the Mini‐PRFI predicts theoretically related attachment constructs, demonstrating the promise of the Mini‐PRFI to increase the accessibility of interview‐based PRF measurements to clinicians and researchers. |
