Context-Specific Mentalizing in Early Parenthood: An Exploratory Cross-Sectional Study Comparing Parental and Romantic Partner Domains

Resumen de los autores

Background: Mentalizing — the capacity to interpret behavior in terms of mental states — is assumed to vary across relational contexts, yet empirical comparisons between parenting- and partner-focused mentalizing in early parenthood are scarce. Method: In an exploratory online study, 110 first-time parents of children under three years (n = 60 complete cases) completed parallel, context-adapted versions of the Parent Reflective Functioning Questionnaire (PRFQ) and selected OPD-Structure Questionnaire (OPD-SQ) subscales regarding child and partner. Additional measures included parental stress, depressive symptoms, attachment insecurity, global mentalizing difficulties, and relationship satisfaction. Analyses used paired t-tests, correlations, and multiple regressions. Results: Mentalizing differed systematically by relational context. Across PRFQ subscales, parents showed lower partner-focused mentalizing than child-focused (more pre-mentalizing, higher certainty, lower curiosity for the partner). OPD indices indicated greater impairment in impulse control and self–other differentiation in the partner context, while affect tolerance was more impaired toward the child. Context-specific mentalizing correlated with global mentalizing difficulties, attachment insecurity, depressive symptoms, and parental stress (r = .42–.73). Child-focused mentalizing impairments were predicted by higher stress and depressive symptoms, whereas partner-focused mentalizing was linked to lower relationship satisfaction and depressive symptoms. Larger partner–child discrepancies were associated with higher parental stress and lower relationship satisfaction. Conclusion: Mentalizing in early parenthood is dyad-specific and systematically lower in the couple domain, indicating a potential vulnerability even in well-functioning families. Brief self-reports can help identify context-dominant mentalizing profiles to guide tailored support of parenting and couple functioning in early interventions. This manuscript has been submitted for publication and has not yet undergone peer review.

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Cómo citar (APA 7)

Holy, K., Nolte, T., Walther, S., Kittel-Schneider, S., Walter, M., & Leutritz, A. L. (2026). Context-Specific Mentalizing in Early Parenthood: An Exploratory Cross-Sectional Study Comparing Parental and Romantic Partner Domains. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/t6sj2_v1