The relationship of psychological-mindedness to adult perceptions of early parental rejection

We tested the hypothesis that highly psychologically minded individuals perceive having grown up with rejecting parents. A Psychological Mindedness (PM) Scale, and the Parent-Child Relations Questionnaire II (PCR), were administered to 120 college students. Contrary to prediction, a significant negative correlation was found between PM and perceptions of early maternal rejection. Psychological-mindedness, it was suggested, may be attributable to "good enough mothering" and may be learned through modeling and imitation of mothers' empathic perceptions, affective responses, and behavior.