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The Importance of Relationship History on Parents' Scaffolding of Children's Mental States

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Title: The Importance of Relationship History on Parents' Scaffolding of Children's Mental States
Language: English
Authors: Aastha Puri (ORCID 0009-0005-1392-8654), Bailey Cavanagh-Welch, Annette M. E. Henderson, Kangning Du, Ted Ruffman
Source: Developmental Psychology. 2025 61(7):1251-1263.
Availability: American Psychological Association. Journals Department, 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002. Tel: 800-374-2721; Tel: 202-336-5510; Fax: 202-336-5502; e-mail: order@apa.org; Web site: http://www.apa.org
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 13
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Descriptors: Parent Child Relationship, Toddlers, Mothers, Theory of Mind, Psychological Patterns, Age Differences, Vocabulary, Infants, Foreign Countries
Geographic Terms: New Zealand
DOI: 10.1037/dev0001923
ISSN: 0012-1649
1939-0599
Abstract: Parent mental state talk (MST) is an important contributor for children's theory-of-mind development, with cognitive MST for Western children being more advanced, often being used with older children relative to talk about desires or emotions. We investigated the contexts in which cognitive MST is most prevalent, as well as the conditions that prompted mothers to provide scaffolding of MST with toddlers. We tested 89 mother-toddler dyads, examining mothers' MST and non-MST with familiar and unfamiliar children during a Picture Describing Task. Of particular interest was whether the age of the toddler, the toddler's preestablished mental state (MS) or non-MS vocabulary, spontaneous conversation dynamics, or the familiarity of the child influenced the mothers' MST. We found that mothers used significantly more cognitive talk in interactions with their own child than with an unfamiliar child. These findings persisted even after covarying out the child's age and MT vocabulary, as well as the mother's MST and non-MST during the picture task. We argue that mothers possessed a better understanding of their own child's MS vocabulary because of their rich relationship history, which resulted in greater use of more advanced cognitive MS discourse with the child. Further, our cross-lagged correlational analysis examining the first half and second half of the Picture Describing Task demonstrated that more child MS talk cued mothers to use more advanced cognitive talk. Overall, the findings of the present study underscore the importance of a relationship history between adults and children for the sensitive scaffolding of children's MT understanding.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1502497
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
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  Data: The Importance of Relationship History on Parents' Scaffolding of Children's Mental States
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  Data: English
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Aastha+Puri%22">Aastha Puri</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0009-0005-1392-8654">0009-0005-1392-8654</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Bailey+Cavanagh-Welch%22">Bailey Cavanagh-Welch</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Annette+M%2E+E%2E+Henderson%22">Annette M. E. Henderson</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Kangning+Du%22">Kangning Du</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Ted+Ruffman%22">Ted Ruffman</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Developmental+Psychology%22"><i>Developmental Psychology</i></searchLink>. 2025 61(7):1251-1263.
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  Data: American Psychological Association. Journals Department, 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002. Tel: 800-374-2721; Tel: 202-336-5510; Fax: 202-336-5502; e-mail: order@apa.org; Web site: http://www.apa.org
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  Data: Y
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  Data: 13
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  Data: 2025
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  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Parent+Child+Relationship%22">Parent Child Relationship</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Toddlers%22">Toddlers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Mothers%22">Mothers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Theory+of+Mind%22">Theory of Mind</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Psychological+Patterns%22">Psychological Patterns</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Age+Differences%22">Age Differences</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Vocabulary%22">Vocabulary</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Infants%22">Infants</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Geographic Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22New+Zealand%22">New Zealand</searchLink>
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  Data: 10.1037/dev0001923
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  Data: 0012-1649<br />1939-0599
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Parent mental state talk (MST) is an important contributor for children's theory-of-mind development, with cognitive MST for Western children being more advanced, often being used with older children relative to talk about desires or emotions. We investigated the contexts in which cognitive MST is most prevalent, as well as the conditions that prompted mothers to provide scaffolding of MST with toddlers. We tested 89 mother-toddler dyads, examining mothers' MST and non-MST with familiar and unfamiliar children during a Picture Describing Task. Of particular interest was whether the age of the toddler, the toddler's preestablished mental state (MS) or non-MS vocabulary, spontaneous conversation dynamics, or the familiarity of the child influenced the mothers' MST. We found that mothers used significantly more cognitive talk in interactions with their own child than with an unfamiliar child. These findings persisted even after covarying out the child's age and MT vocabulary, as well as the mother's MST and non-MST during the picture task. We argue that mothers possessed a better understanding of their own child's MS vocabulary because of their rich relationship history, which resulted in greater use of more advanced cognitive MS discourse with the child. Further, our cross-lagged correlational analysis examining the first half and second half of the Picture Describing Task demonstrated that more child MS talk cued mothers to use more advanced cognitive talk. Overall, the findings of the present study underscore the importance of a relationship history between adults and children for the sensitive scaffolding of children's MT understanding.
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  Data: 2026
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  Data: EJ1502497
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        Value: 10.1037/dev0001923
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 13
        StartPage: 1251
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Parent Child Relationship
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Toddlers
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Mothers
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Theory of Mind
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      – SubjectFull: Psychological Patterns
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      – SubjectFull: Age Differences
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      – SubjectFull: Vocabulary
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      – SubjectFull: Infants
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries
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      – SubjectFull: New Zealand
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      – TitleFull: The Importance of Relationship History on Parents' Scaffolding of Children's Mental States
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            NameFull: Annette M. E. Henderson
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            NameFull: Kangning Du
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            NameFull: Ted Ruffman
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