What do we know about parental embodied mentalizing? A systematic review of the construct, assessment, empirical findings, gaps and further steps.

Abstract

Before the maturation of higher-order cognitive functions, infants primarily communicate via bodily expressions. Their behavior adjustments are also shaped by caregiver reactions, which differ in timing, intensity, and nature. Although mentalizing, or reflective functioning, is thought to influence caregiver interactions, the literature has largely focused on mentalizing as an explicit, cognitive process. Given the inherently embodied nature of early parent-infant exchanges, this emphasis left a clear gap in capturing the implicit facets of parental mentalizing. Addressing this, the concept of "parental embodied mentalizing" (PEM) was developed, which pertains to a caregiver's implicit capacity to discern and respond to an infant's emotional states, thoughts, and intents through bodily movements, gauged via real-time, shared, kinesthetic interplays. This systematic narrative review explores the PEM construct, scrutinizing its theoretical foundations and empirical basis. We aggregate insights from relevant studies, review the current research landscape's strengths and limitations, and pinpoint areas ripe for further investigation.