The role of parental reflective functioning in the effect of child negative emotionality on parenting in preschool years

The aim of this study was to investigate the role of parental mentalization in the association between child negative emotionality and parenting dimensions including warmth, control, and hostility. 217 mothers of children between 36-72 months of age participated in the study. Data collection tools were demographic information form, Children's Behavior Questionnaire-Short Form for children's negative emotionality, Parental Reflective Functioning Questionnaire for mothers' level of prementalizing modes, Parenting Behavior Inventory Revised Version for parenting behaviors, and Beck Depression Inventory for maternal depression which is the control variable in the study. Hypotheses of the study were tested by Multiple Regression Analyses using Hayes Process Macro Model 1. Results showed positive main effect of child negative emotionality only on maternal hostility whereas mothers' level of prementalizing modes had positive main effect on maternal warmth and negative main effect on control and hostility. Also, moderating role of parental mentalization was found in the effect of child negative emotionality on parental warmth and on parental hostility. In conclusion, child temperament and maternal reflective functioning predict parenting behaviors both separately and in interaction with each other. Results were discussed considering the literature regarding child temperament, parenting, and parental mentalization. Keywords: Negative Emotionality, Parental Reflective Functioning, Parental Warmth, Parental Control, Parental Hostility