Lecture 4: Attachment, mentalization and epistemic trust

Question 1

Observations from Manon and Julia

Answer 1

• different outcomes for each twin despite genetic similarity
• in the absence of parental support they had to take care of another-> parentification
• is a system rather than a story of an individual with a disorder
• not a story to blame the parent but also of society to not provide care
• absence of well-regulated, reflected and mentalized emotions in both twins
• one of them have underregulated and overwhelming emotions which dominate and overregulation and avoiding emotions

Question 2

How has the field of personality disorders developed?

Answer 2

1. personality disorders as categorical syndromes
2. personality disorders as traits
3. personality disorders as dynamics
4. interpersonal model of personality dynamics

Question 3

What is involved in the interpersonal field?

Answer 3

The self which consists of the self system and the affect system, perceptions and behaviour affect others which have a self and affect system.

Question 4

How do early maladaptive schemas interact with the interpersonal field?

Answer 4

The belief that one is defective, unwanted, inferior and unworthy can result in a fear of insecurities being exposed to others with hypersensitivity to criticism, rejection and blame.

Question 5

What is intentionality?

Answer 5

Mental phenomena are about something, intended at something. Treat the object which is predicted to be a rational agent, figure out the beliefs the agent should have, and predict that the agent will act to further its goals.

Question 6

What are dualities?

Answer 6

Immediate non-reflexive action-reaction like cause and affect, action, reaction, stimulus, response

Question 7

What are triadics?

Answer 7

This the process underlying reasons. Includes intention/meaning, action stimulus which leads to a reaction/response.

Question 8

Mentalization

Answer 8

Refers to the movement from a dualistic to a triadic perspective, intentional stance, process of learning and applying a theory of mind.

Question 9

What is the basic model?

Answer 9

Parental attachment-> parental mentalizing-> child mentalizing which impacts infant attachment, cognitive and socioemotional development

Question 10

How does attachment lead to mentalizing?

Answer 10

1. Offspring strongly attach to caregivers
2. Human babies are sensitive and attuned to forms of vitality which they can share with others
3. In secure attachments, parents use parental reflective functioning (mentalizing) to interact with the child to develop joint intentionality
4. This allows for the distinction between intention from acts and the distinction between the self and others

Question 11

What is the function of epistemic trust?

Answer 11

Humans have a species-specific capacity for fast and intergenerational transmission of cultural knowledge. So relies on authority and perceived trustworthiness of person communicating information. Epistemic trust allows for species-specific learning.

Question 12

Epistemic trust

Answer 12

Type of trust to learn from others and give authority. Not inclined to trust anyone to provide with valid information. A situation of epistemic trust enables species-specific learning. Absence of epistemic trust can make learning problematic.

Question 13

How doe epistemic trust contrast with vigilance?

Answer 13

Vigilance involves not trusting anyone. Hypervigilance can occur with repeated experiences of untrustworthiness of trusted authorities. So information is dismissed about the world and ourselves from such sources. Can disrupt development if it becomes a central trait