Skowron, E. A., Kozlowski, J. M., & Pincus, A. L.2014-06-242014-06-242010Skowron, E. A., Kozlowski, J. M., & Pincus, A. L. (2010). Differentiation, self–other representations, and rupture–repair processes: Predicting child maltreatment risk. Journal of counseling psychology, 57(3), 304.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2923821/pdf/nihms205298.pdfhttp://hdl.handle.net/11212/1515This set of studies was designed to examine the relational underpinnings of child abuse potential in a sample of 51 urban families. In Study 1, lower maternal differentiation of self—most notably, greater emotional reactivity and greater emotional cutoff—along with self-attacking introjects, together distinguished mothers at higher risk (vs. lower risk) for child maltreatment (CM). In Study 2, patterns of interactive rupture and repair were examined in a subsample of n = 15 families and found to vary as a function of risk for CM. Specifically, SASB coding (Benjamin, 1996, 2003) of mother-children interactions during two moderately stressful lab tasks revealed higher rates of interactive mismatch and mother-initiated ruptures, and fewer successful repairs in families at higher-risk-for-CM, relative to families at lower-risk. Implications for counseling and directions for further translational research are discussed. (Author Abstract)en-USresearchrisk factorsrelationship ruptureSASBparentingchild abusedifferentiationArticle