Development and criterion validity of a computerized text analysis measure of reflective functioning

Psychother Res. 2012;22(3):298-305. doi: 10.1080/10503307.2011.650654. Epub 2012 Feb 9.

Abstract

The Reflective Functioning scale (RF) is a narrative-based assessment of the capacity to coherently conceptualize one's own and others' subjective motivations, emotions, beliefs, and desires. We report the preliminary results of an effort to develop a computerized text analysis version (CRF) of the RF assessment system. A sample of 113 clinical and non-clinical Adult Attachment Interviews (AAI) were utilized to develop the CRF measure. Using the Marker Approach (Mergenthaler & Bucci, 1999), 54 linguistic markers of high RF language were identified. The associations between CRF and RF were significant in both a clinical sample of patients diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) (Spearman rho=.57, p<.0001) and a non-clinical sample of adults (Spearman rho=.57, p=.002). These results suggest that a CRF rating scale is feasible, has preliminary criterion validity, and, therefore, has potential to facilitate the efficient assessment of RF.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Validation Study

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Borderline Personality Disorder / psychology
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Computing Methodologies*
  • Emotions
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Language
  • Linguistics
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Motivation
  • Narration
  • Psychometrics / instrumentation*
  • Self Psychology*