Hildyard, K., & Wolfe, D. (2007). Cognitive processes associated with child neglect. Child Abuse and Neglect, 31(8), 895-907. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2007.02.007
In this study, neglectful mothers were less able to recognize infants’ emotions, more likely to blame children’s ambiguous behaviour on their character, and poorer at recalling information than comparative mothers. The authors suggest that cognitive-behavioural interventions targeting how parents read their children’s emotions and behaviour may help.