ABSTRACT
Research on mind-mindedness is flourishing but remains limited both in geographical scope and by the scarcity of longitudinal designs. Framed within a larger study of the transition to siblinghood in China, we addressed these gaps by following 138 Chinese mothers (82% university educated) from late pregnancy for a second child (Time 1; M weeks = 32) to two months postpartum (Time 2; M interval = 3.40 months). At both time points mothers completed (a) the Five-Minute Speech Sample paradigm, with transcripts coded for the proportion of mental attributes and positive valence mental attributes (i.e., positive mind-mindedness), and (b) questionnaire measures of maternal mental health, child-mother relationship quality, and internalizing and externalizing problems in their firstborn child (M T1 age = 4.48 years, SD = 1.66; 38.4% boys). Mean mind-mindedness (not positive mind-mindedness) increased significantly across this period of family change. Cross-lagged analyses showed that, controlling for baseline child internalizing symptoms, expectant mothers’ positive mind-mindedness predicted fewer internalizing problems post-birth. Conversely, initial child internalizing symptoms were inversely associated with positive mind-mindedness post-birth. This bidirectional relationship highlights the dynamic nature of mind-mindedness and suggests that positive MM supports Chinese firstborns’ adjustment during the sibling transition.