Premium
A model for conceptualizing the role of the mother's representational world in various mother‐infant therapies
Author(s) -
SternBruschweiler Nadia,
Stern Daniel N.
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
infant mental health journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.693
H-Index - 75
eISSN - 1097-0355
pISSN - 0163-9641
DOI - 10.1002/1097-0355(198923)10:3<142::aid-imhj2280100303>3.0.co;2-m
Subject(s) - representation (politics) , perspective (graphical) , psychology , interdependence , element (criminal law) , developmental psychology , action (physics) , coaching , psychotherapist , cognitive psychology , computer science , artificial intelligence , sociology , social science , physics , quantum mechanics , law , politics , political science
A model of the mother‐infant interaction/relationship is presented that permits systematic descriptions of different therapeutic approaches. The model consists of four interdependent elements in constant dynamic equilibrium. These elements are (1) the infant's overt interactive behavior; (2) the mother's overt interactive behavior (together these two constitute the interaction); (3) the infant's representation of the interaction; and (4) the mother's representation of the interaction (together the four constitute the relationship). Different therapeutic approaches, including a psychoanalytically oriented therapy, interactional coaching, a behavioral pediatric approach, a behaviorist approach, and a family therapy approach are each described in terms of (1) which element in the model provides the clinical information and (2) which element in the model is the direct focus of therapeutic action. Educational, clinical, and research implications of this perspective are discussed. In particular, the importance of changing the mother's representation of the interaction for therapeutic change is stressed. Further, it is argued that the mother's representation can be changed sufficiently by both direct and indirect approaches.