Exploring and Deepening the Facets of Mentalizing: The Integration of Network and Factorial Analysis Approaches to Verify the Psychometric Properties of the Multidimensional Mentalizing Questionnaire (MMQ)

Alessio Gori () and Eleonora Topino
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Alessio Gori: Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Via di San Salvi 12, Pad. 26, 50135 Florence, Italy
Eleonora Topino: Department of Human Sciences, LUMSA University of Rome, Via della Traspontina 21, 00193 Rome, Italy

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 6, 1-16

Abstract: Mentalization is a complex and multifaceted trans-theoretical and trans-diagnostic construct that has found increasing application in the clinical context. This research aimed at deepening the psychometric properties of the Multidimensional Mentalizing Questionnaire (MMQ), a 33-item theoretically based self-report questionnaire allowing for a comprehensive assessment of mentalizing, by integrating factor analysis and network analysis approaches. A sample of 1640 participants ( M age = 33 years; SD = 13.28) was involved in the research. The six-factor structure was confirmed for the MMQ, and both the total and the subdimensions demonstrated good reliability. The network analysis has further enriched these results, showing the central role of the items attributable to Emotional Dysregulation or Reflexivity in influencing the network as well as the contribution of aspects related to Relational Discomfort in managing the flow of communication flow. Such findings may have useful clinical implications and emphasize the usefulness of the MMQ in both research and clinical practice.

Keywords: mentalization; multidimensionality; multilevel model; factor analysis approach; network analysis approach; self-report measure; MMQ (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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