How can we enhance mentalizing in the laboratory? A pilot experimental investigation

Research suggests that mental disorders are associated with impairments in mentalizing, and that addressing the quality of mentalizing in psychosocial treatments may be of benefit to patients. However, it remains to be understood what specific therapeutic interventions can produce these changes. The pilot study presented here aims to introduce a novel experimental procedure for the controlled study of therapeutic interventions that foster mentalizing. Drawing from theoretical hypothesis as well as previous research, we wish to test the hypothesis that empathic conjectures in addition to probing may facilitate patients’ mentalizing. 19 adults were recruited and then administered a short version of the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI), a semi-structured interview about early relationships with parents. Two AAI questions were administered similarly to the original protocol, with follow-ups after questions. Crucially, after the participant’s response to the following questions, the interviewer provided empathic conjectures rather than asking more open questions. Next, again similarly to the AAI; subjects were asked two “demand questions” for assessing their mentalizing with the Reflective Functioning Scale (RF). Results supported our hypothesis that mentalizing will be significantly higher at the end of the interview compared to the beginning, and are discussed in their implications and limitations.