{Reference Type}: Meta-Analysis
{Title}: Mentalizing in and out of awareness: A meta-analytic review of implicit and explicit mentalizing.
{Author}: Kivity Y;Levy KN;Johnson BN;Rosenstein LK;LeBreton JM;
{Journal}: Clin Psychol Rev
{Volume}: 108
{Issue}: 0
{Year}: 2024 03 30
{Factor}: 11.397
{DOI}: 10.1016/j.cpr.2024.102395
{Abstract}: Mentalizing, making sense of mental states, is hypothesized to have a central role in self-organization and social learning. Findings support this notion, but the extent of the association between mentalizing and various correlates has not been meta-analyzed. Furthermore, mentalizing presumably occurs with (explicit) and without (implicit) awareness but few studies have attempted to disentangle these aspects. We conducted a meta-analysis of implicit and explicit mentalizing in relation to the domains of attachment security, personality, affect, psychopathology, and functioning.<BR>We searched for studies of adult mentalizing in PsycINFO and in related reviews. Overall, 511 studies (N = 78,733) met criteria and were analyzed using multi-level meta-analysis.<BR>Implicit (r = 0.19-0.29) and explicit (r = 0.26-0.40) mentalizing were moderately correlated with psychopathology, functioning, personality, affect, and attachment security. The correlations of implicit mentalizing were stronger with more objectively measured correlates (b = 0.02, p < .001) while the correlations of explicit mentalizing were not (b = -0.07, p = .21).<BR>Mentalizing is associated with better intra- and interpersonal functioning. Implicit mentalizing is more strongly associated with objectively measured correlates. These findings underscore the importance of an integrative approach considering both implicit and explicit mentalizing.