Browsing by Author "Khalid Dogar, Bilal"

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    Reflective functioning, personality organization, and attachment security among Pakistani youth
    (University of Management and Technology Lahore, 2016) Khalid Dogar, Bilal
    Reflective functioning is the capacity to reflect on our own mental experiences and experiences of others. It is a reflexive process with unconscious roots in the interpretation of each other’s ac-tions that develops in early childhood through the process of attachment with the primary care-giver. In addition, reflective functioning and attachment are both thought to be implicated in the development of personality. While this triadic relationship is supported by theory, empirical evi-dence for it is still lacking. In this observational study, we investigated the correlates of reflective functioning, attachment style and personality organization in a final sample of 91 teenagers and young adults (13-30 years) from Pakistan. We further conducted a mediation analysis to detect possible interaction effects between the sub scales of these constructs. The instruments adminis-tered were the Reflective Functioning Questionnaire (RFQ; Fonagy & Ghanai, 2008)), the Inven-tory of personality organization (IPO; Lenzenweger, Clarkin, Kernberg, & Foelsch, 2000), and the Experiences in Closed Relationships- Revised (ECR-R; Fraley, Waller, & Brennan, 2000). Reflective functioning was found to be significantly correlated with two sub scales of personality organization, namely; primitive defenses and reality testing whereas there was no significant cor-relation with identity diffusion. On the other hand, primitive defenses and identity diffusion were found to be significantly correlated with anxious attachment and avoidant attachment style. Reality testing was significantly correlated with anxious attachment but not with avoidant attachment style. Mediation analysis revealed that there was significant negative indirect association of anxious attachment with reflective functioning through primitive defenses and through reality testing but not through identity diffusion. Also there was significant negative indirect association of avoidant attachment with reflective functioning through primitive defenses but not through identity diffusion and reality testing.