Citation

Milan S, Ramirez J, Carlone C. Pers. Relatsh. 2017; 24(4): 820-836.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, International Society for the Study of Personal Relationships, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/pere.12215

PMID

35498379

PMCID

PMC9053467

Abstract

Dyadic meta-accuracy reflects the ability to judge how one is viewed by a relationship partner. Drawing from the attachment literature on parental mentalization, it is tested whether maternal meta-accuracy is associated with (a) mothers' history of maltreatment or maternal absence during her childhood and (b) observed relational behaviors during an interaction task. Participants included 182 low-income mother-daughter dyads (adolescent mean age = 15.1). Mothers were modestly accurate in judging how daughters rated their warmth and hostility. Mothers with histories of maltreatment or maternal absence showed less meta-accuracy, but the nature of their inaccuracies (e.g., self-enhancement) differed. Differences in maternal meta-accuracy were also associated with relationship quality as rated by independent observers. The relevance of meta-accuracy for mentalization-based interventions with families is discussed.

Language: en