The reflective functioning of adoptive mothers and attachment pattern of their late-adopted children

Introduction. Several studies with biological dyads have shown that high level of maternal reflective functioning can predict secure attachments of their children. The aim of the current study is to assess whether the high level of adoptive mothers’ reflective functioning could promote security of their late-adopted children’s attachment patterns. Methods. Participants: Our pilot-study involved 28 late-adopted children –who were placed when they were between four and seven years old- and their 20 adoptive mothers who were recruited by Social Services and International Adoption Agencies. Measures: The levels of reflective functioning of the adoptive mothers were assessed by the Adult Attachment Interview using the Reflective Functioning Scale on the AAI. The attachment patterns of late-adopted children were evaluated by two different measures: 1) the Manchester Child Attachment Story Task used to assess children’s attachment verbal representations, 2) the Separation-Reunion Procedure, used in order to classify the children’s attachment behaviours. Results. At representational level, we found that higher scores of reflective functioning of adoptive mothers were significantly correlated with late-adopted children’s higher scores on coherence’s scale (Spearman rho=.438, p=.010) and lower scores on disorganization’s scale (Spearman rho=-.332, p=.042) measured by the Manchester Child Attachment Story Task. Moreover, at behavioural level, a significant correlation was emerged between higher scores of maternal reflective functioning and late-adopted children’s higher scores on security’s scale (rho=.456, p=.006) measured by the Separation-Reunion Procedure. Conclusion. These data would suggest that also among adoptive dyads, such as in biological ones, mothers with sophisticated abilities to understand and reflect on their/others mental states (high reflective functioning) could represent a protective factor able to promote coherence and security and reduce disorganization of the attachment patterns of their children.