Effects of Relational Savoring on Parental Sensitivity and Child Self-Regulation

Science Center, Bent Corridor

This study will examine whether an attachment-based savoring intervention has significant effects on parental reflective functioning, parental sensitivity and, consequently, child self-regulation. Participants of this short-term longitudinal study will include 150 toddlers (ages 18-24 months at the start of the study) and their parents, which will be randomly assigned to personal savoring (control) or relational savoring (experimental) conditions. We expect that those in the relational savoring condition, in which mothers savored a close memory with their child, will experience greater increases in reflective functioning and in the quality of the mother-child relationship than those in the personal savoring condition, in which mothers savored a positive memory of a time they had to themselves. We hypothesize that increased reflective functioning will mediate the association between savoring condition and parental sensitivity. Furthermore, we expect that mother attachment style will moderate the association between savoring condition and reflective functioning; such that mothers with an avoidant attachment style will experience greater improvements in reflective functioning and parental sensitivity than secure mothers. Children of mothers with an avoidant attachment will show greater self-regulation compared to children of secure mothers.