Neural signatures of State Mindfulness in Parenting contexts
Research Poster Social & Behavioral Sciences 2025 Graduate ExhibitionPresentation by Vani Gupta
Exhibition Number 220
Abstract
Parenting an infant is challenging and rewarding at the same time, requiring the parent to respond to shifting infant emotional states over repeated episodes of distress and recovery. Mindfulness has been shown to be a resource that can reduce parental stress and improve child outcomes through mindful parenting as they navigate these challenges. None of the previous studies have investigated how aspects of mindfulness in the moment of responding to one’s infant translate into brain responses that support parenting processes and parental well-being. We attempt at answering this by looking at the neural correlates of state mindfulness using fMRI as mothers (n=25) view the videos of their infants affect when subjected to arm-restraint or peekaboo. Using Toronto Mindfulness Scale for measuring state mindfulness post-scan, we found distinct patterns of neural activation associated with both decentering and curiosity dimensions. Further, these patterns, particularly of decentering, were related with parental stress. The findings from this study could inform interventions to improve parental well-being and parenting outcomes by highlighting the specific mindfulness-relevant processes to target.
Importance
This is the first study to examine state mindfulness in parents of infants at a neural level, shedding light on how mindfulness processes influence the brain during real-time parenting. The results from this study, notably, mothers who naturally stepped back from their emotions (decentering) experienced less parenting stress, can help inform interventions aimed at reducing parental stress and enhancing caregiving by targeting key mindfulness related processes in the brain. Future research could explore how practicing mindfulness over time shapes brain activity, improves parent-infant interactions, and benefits long-term child development. It offers a new understanding of how parents stay present and responsive with their infants in emotionally distressing situations.