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Kasper LA, Hauschild S, Berning A, Holl J, Taubner S. Development and validation of the Mentalizing Emotions Questionnaire: A self-report measure for mentalizing emotions of the self and other. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0300984. [PMID: 38709789 PMCID: PMC11073734 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0300984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Mentalizing describes the ability to imagine mental states underlying behavior. Furthermore, mentalizing allows one to identify, reflect on, and make sense of one's emotional state as well as to communicate one's emotions to oneself and others. In existing self-report measures, the process of mentalizing emotions in oneself and others was not captured. Therefore, the Mentalizing Emotions Questionnaire (MEQ; current version in German) was developed. In Study 1 (N = 510), we explored the factor structure of the MEQ with an Exploratory Factor Analysis. The factor analysis identified one principal (R2 = .65) and three subfactors: the overall factor was mentalizing emotions, the three subdimensions were self, communicating and other. In Study 2 (N = 509), we tested and confirmed the factor structure of the 16-items MEQ in a Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFI = .959, RMSEA = .078, SRMR = .04) and evaluated its psychometric properties, which showed excellent internal consistency (α = .92 - .95) and good validity. The MEQ is a valid and reliable instrument which assesses the ability to mentalize emotions provides incremental validity to related constructs such as empathy that goes beyond other mentalization questionnaires.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lea A. Kasper
- Psychological Institute, University Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
- Institute for Psychosocial Prevention, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sophie Hauschild
- Institute for Psychosocial Prevention, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Anna Berning
- Psychological Institute, University Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
- Institute for Psychosocial Prevention, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Julia Holl
- Psychological Institute, University Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
- Institute for Psychosocial Prevention, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Svenja Taubner
- Psychological Institute, University Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
- Institute for Psychosocial Prevention, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
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Liotti M, Fiorini Bincoletto A, Bizzi F, Tironi M, Charpentier Mora S, Cavanna D, Giovanardi G, Jurist E, Speranza AM, Lingiardi V, Tanzilli A. The catcher in the mind: validation of the brief-mentalized affectivity scale for adolescents in the Italian population. RESEARCH IN PSYCHOTHERAPY (MILANO) 2023; 26:709. [PMID: 38189462 PMCID: PMC10849075 DOI: 10.4081/ripppo.2023.709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
The concept of mentalized affectivity (MA) encompasses the dimensions of identifying, processing, and expressing emotions and describes the process of making sense of and reevaluating one's affects in light of autobiographical memory. This construct was developed within the theoretical framework of mentalization and, due to its interpersonal nature, added further complexity to the emotion regulation construct. This research aimed to examine the factor structure and psychometric properties of the Brief-Mentalized Affectivity Scale for adolescents (B-MAS-A) on an Italian sample of young people (aged 13-19 years). Data were collected using non-probabilistic sampling and an online survey. Participants were asked to complete a large battery of instruments, including the B-MAS-A, the Toronto Alexithymia Scale, the Reflective Functioning Questionnaire, the Epistemic Trust, Mistrust, and Credulity Questionnaire, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, and the General Self-Efficacy Scale. In study 1, factor analyses carried out on a total sample of 566 adolescents identified 3 distinct dimensions of the same components of MA found in the adult population: i) identifying; ii) processing; iii) expressing emotions. The subscales showed excellent internal consistency. Study 2 (involving a subsample of 288 participants) demonstrated good levels of construct and criterion validity. These results confirm that the B-MAS-A represents a valid and robust instrument for assessing the complex and multifaceted characteristics of MA in adolescents. The B-MAS-A can make a significant contribution to clinical practice and research and encourage systematic studies on MA in psychotherapy, taking into account the developmental stage of adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marianna Liotti
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Sapienza University of Rome.
| | | | - Fabiola Bizzi
- Department of Educational Sciences, University of Genoa.
| | - Marta Tironi
- Department of Educational Sciences, University of Genoa.
| | | | | | - Guido Giovanardi
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Sapienza University of Rome.
| | - Elliot Jurist
- Department of Psychology, City College of the City University of New York.
| | - Anna Maria Speranza
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Sapienza University of Rome.
| | - Vittorio Lingiardi
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Sapienza University of Rome.
| | - Annalisa Tanzilli
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Sapienza University of Rome.
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Jurist E, Greenberg D, Pizziferro M, Alaluf R, Perez Sosa M. Virtue, well-being, and mentalized affectivity. RESEARCH IN PSYCHOTHERAPY (MILANO) 2023; 26:710. [PMID: 38189466 PMCID: PMC10849072 DOI: 10.4081/ripppo.2023.710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
Virtue ethics, featuring the claim that virtue leads to wellbeing, has been imported by psychologists from philosophy. In the first part of the paper, we re-examine the source of virtue ethics in Aristotle's philosophy and question whether virtues can be the path to eudaimonistic well-being for us, given that contemporary society differs from ancient society in terms of a lack of consensus about virtues. We focus on the modulation of emotions as a good starting place for reconstruing virtue ethics, and we affirm a connection to well-being through the construct of "mentalized affectivity", which is a specific kind of emotion regulation. In the second half of this hybrid paper, we provide evidence for the link between mentalized affectivity and well-being, based upon an empirical study with an adult sample (N=558). Our study examined how the Mentalized Affectivity Scale (MAS) predicts subjective well-being compared to five commonly used and related measures: Difficulty with Emotion Regulation Scale; Emotion Regulation Questionnaire; Flexibility Regulation of Emotional Expression scale; Reflective Functioning Questionnaire; Toronto Alexithymia Scale. The most important finding is that the MAS and Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale are most predictive of satisfaction with life. A second finding, less relevant for the present paper, is that the MAS (namely, its components of Identifying and Processing) strongly predicted psychopathology, including anxiety and mood disorders. This suggests that the MAS is a valuable tool for research on emotion regulation, well-being, and psychopathology, and that mentalized affectivity ought to be regarded as a promising construct for re-describing and specifying the contemporary relevance of virtue ethics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elliot Jurist
- The City College of New York, NY; The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, NY.
| | - David Greenberg
- Iterdisciplinary Department of Social Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel; Department of Music, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel; Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge.
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Liotti M, Spitoni GF, Lingiardi V, Marchetti A, Speranza AM, Valle A, Jurist E, Giovanardi G. Mentalized affectivity in a nutshell: Validation of the Italian version of the Brief-Mentalized Affectivity Scale (B-MAS). PLoS One 2021; 16:e0260678. [PMID: 34855839 PMCID: PMC8639076 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0260678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2021] [Accepted: 11/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The term “mentalized affectivity” describes the ability to reflect on, process, modulate and express emotions through the prism of autobiographical memory. It represents a bridge concept that integrates previous contributions on emotion regulation and mentalization, offering a quite unique perspective on affective and reflective functioning. The overall aim of this study was to validate the Brief-Mentalized Affectivity Scale (B-MAS), a 12-items self-report instrument, on the Italian population. We tested both the factorial validity of the instrument and its reliability and convergent validity with other similar constructs. We also obtained normative data for the Italian population, broken down by gender. Participants (n = 389) were recruited through snowball sampling. Data was collected through an online survey. Besides the Brief-Mentalized Affectivity Scale, the survey included an ad hoc schedule with questions investigating socio-demographic characteristics, and self-report measures of empathy and reflective functioning. Statistical analysis has shown a three-component (Identifying, Processing, and Expressing emotions) hierarchical structure underlying mentalized affectivity, mirroring the model already proposed in the original validation of the instrument. Moreover, the B-MAS showed good psychometric properties for what regards both reliability and convergent validity. The results of our study highlight the good operationalization and robust empirical foundation of the construct, revealing that the B-MAS is a promising instrument to assess mentalized affectivity. Its brevity makes it particularly valuable both in clinical and research contexts, and the normative data provided in this study will allow an easy comparison with the scores obtained by other samples (clinical and non-clinical).
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Affiliation(s)
- Marianna Liotti
- Department of Dynamic, Clinical and Health Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- * E-mail:
| | - Grazia Fernanda Spitoni
- Department of Dynamic, Clinical and Health Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Vittorio Lingiardi
- Department of Dynamic, Clinical and Health Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Antonella Marchetti
- Research Unit on Theory of Mind, Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy
| | - Anna Maria Speranza
- Department of Dynamic, Clinical and Health Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Annalisa Valle
- Research Unit on Theory of Mind, Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy
| | - Elliot Jurist
- Clinical Psychology at the City College of New York, and The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Guido Giovanardi
- Department of Dynamic, Clinical and Health Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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Correction: The Mentalized Affectivity Scale (MAS): Development and validation of the Italian version. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0257989. [PMID: 34555112 PMCID: PMC8460015 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0257989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
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Greenberg DM, Rudenstine S, Alaluf R, Jurist EL. Development and validation of the Brief-Mentalized Affectivity Scale: Evidence from cross-sectional online data and an urban community-based mental health clinic. J Clin Psychol 2021; 77:2638-2652. [PMID: 34260738 DOI: 10.1002/jclp.23203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2020] [Revised: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To develop and validate the Brief-Mentalized Affectivity scale (B-MAS), a shorter version of the Mentalized Affectivity Scale (MAS). METHODS In Study 1 (N = 978), participants from Amazon's Mechanical Turk were administered a battery of questionnaires including the B-MAS and traditional emotion regulation measures. In Study 2 (N = 230), clients from a community clinic completed a separate battery of measures, including the B-MAS, and personality and emotion regulation measures. RESULTS There were four main findings: (1) the B-MAS is a psychometrically robust measure of emotion regulation and mentalization; (2) scores on the B-MAS are highly predictive of many clinical diagnoses; (3) scores on the B-MAS are just as or more predictive of wellbeing than traditional emotional regulation measures; and (4) as observed in an urban clinic with a diverse population, the B-MAS is useful clinically, especially because of its brevity. CONCLUSION The B-MAS contributes to the expanding scope of research on emotion regulation and has valuable clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- David M Greenberg
- Interdisciplinary Department of Social Sciences and Department of Music, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Sasha Rudenstine
- Department of Psychology, Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program, City College of the City University of New York, New York, New York, USA
| | - Rozita Alaluf
- Department of Psychology, Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program, City College of the City University of New York, New York, New York, USA
| | - Elliot L Jurist
- Department of Psychology, Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program, City College of the City University of New York, New York, New York, USA
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