Interpersonal and intrapersonal processes in the formation of maternal representations in middle childhood: Review, new findings and future directions

Sidney J. Blatt's unique contribution to the study of internal representations of parental figures is delineated, and empirical research dealing with interpersonal and intrapersonal aspects of maternal representations in middle childhood is reviewed. Children's representations of mother and father, as well as of an unknown parent, provide evidence of the interconnected effects of actual interpersonal experiences and intrapersonal factors. In addition, new findings related to cultural differences affecting children's maternal representations suggest a broader and more complex perspective for the definition of interpersonal experiences. Taken together, these studies suggest an understanding of an individual's internal world of representations as dialectical transactions between his or her circumstances and rules of organization of interpersonal knowledge, on one hand, and the actual interpersonal experiences and cultural beliefs, on the other. The importance of the study of continuity and change for the understanding of the effects of interpersonal and intrapersonal factors in children's construction of parental representations is underscored.