TY - JOUR
T1 - Mentalizing in and out of awareness
T2 - A meta-analytic review of implicit and explicit mentalizing
AU - Kivity, Yogev
AU - Levy, Kenneth N.
AU - Johnson, Benjamin N.
AU - Rosenstein, Lia K.
AU - LeBreton, James M.
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2023
PY - 2024/3
Y1 - 2024/3
N2 - Background: Mentalizing, making sense of mental states, is hypothesized to have a central role in self-organization and social learning. Findings support this notion, but the extent of the association between mentalizing and various correlates has not been meta-analyzed. Furthermore, mentalizing presumably occurs with (explicit) and without (implicit) awareness but few studies have attempted to disentangle these aspects. We conducted a meta-analysis of implicit and explicit mentalizing in relation to the domains of attachment security, personality, affect, psychopathology, and functioning. Methods: We searched for studies of adult mentalizing in PsycINFO and in related reviews. Overall, 511 studies (N = 78,733) met criteria and were analyzed using multi-level meta-analysis. Results: Implicit (r = 0.19–0.29) and explicit (r = 0.26–0.40) mentalizing were moderately correlated with psychopathology, functioning, personality, affect, and attachment security. The correlations of implicit mentalizing were stronger with more objectively measured correlates (b = 0.02, p < .001) while the correlations of explicit mentalizing were not (b = −0.07, p = .21). Conclusions: Mentalizing is associated with better intra- and interpersonal functioning. Implicit mentalizing is more strongly associated with objectively measured correlates. These findings underscore the importance of an integrative approach considering both implicit and explicit mentalizing.
AB - Background: Mentalizing, making sense of mental states, is hypothesized to have a central role in self-organization and social learning. Findings support this notion, but the extent of the association between mentalizing and various correlates has not been meta-analyzed. Furthermore, mentalizing presumably occurs with (explicit) and without (implicit) awareness but few studies have attempted to disentangle these aspects. We conducted a meta-analysis of implicit and explicit mentalizing in relation to the domains of attachment security, personality, affect, psychopathology, and functioning. Methods: We searched for studies of adult mentalizing in PsycINFO and in related reviews. Overall, 511 studies (N = 78,733) met criteria and were analyzed using multi-level meta-analysis. Results: Implicit (r = 0.19–0.29) and explicit (r = 0.26–0.40) mentalizing were moderately correlated with psychopathology, functioning, personality, affect, and attachment security. The correlations of implicit mentalizing were stronger with more objectively measured correlates (b = 0.02, p < .001) while the correlations of explicit mentalizing were not (b = −0.07, p = .21). Conclusions: Mentalizing is associated with better intra- and interpersonal functioning. Implicit mentalizing is more strongly associated with objectively measured correlates. These findings underscore the importance of an integrative approach considering both implicit and explicit mentalizing.
KW - Explicit constructs
KW - Implicit constructs
KW - Mentalizing
KW - Meta-analysis
KW - Unconscious constructs
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85183979180&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2024.102395
DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2024.102395
M3 - مقالة مرجعية
C2 - 38320421
SN - 0272-7358
VL - 108
JO - Clinical Psychology Review
JF - Clinical Psychology Review
M1 - 102395
ER -