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Measuring and developing Reflective Functioning using Artificial Intelligence

26 February 2026, 12:30 pm–2:00 pm

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Webinar Presented by Dr Karen Yirmiya and Alex Truscott

Event Information

Open to

All

Availability

Yes

Organiser

Psychoanalysis Unit

 

About

In this webinar we will present several ongoing projects applying artificial intelligence to the measurement and development of reflective functioning.

The AIRE project investigates whether it is possible to train a large language model as a reliable coder of reflective functioning using a large dataset of Adult Attachment Interviews. The preliminary results will highlight the strengths and weaknesses of these models to detect reflecting functioning and we will consider the possibility that an AI model could be used to assist with identifying varying aspects of reflective functioning in qualitative datasets.

The MentiParent project focuses on the use of artificial intelligence to support the development of reflective functioning skills among parents. Users experience a challenging interaction with a ‘teenager’, while receiving support from a therapist character who provides suggestions and guidance to maintain reflective functioning. We will demonstrate this novel approach and present acceptability and feasibility results from our pilot studies with professionals and parents.The third project will present an AI-based application currently being implemented within Mentalization-Based Treatment (MBT) trainings. This tool is designed to provide interactive practice opportunities and to evaluate the clinical and educational effectiveness of experiential learning compared with standard reading-based approaches.
 

Biographies

Dr. Karen Yirmiya is a senior lecturer in the Department of Psychology at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, and a Honorary Senior Research Fellow at University College London. Her research uses multi-method approaches to understand the intergenerational transmission of trauma, perinatal mental health, and developmental psychopathology. She is particularly interested in the biobehavioral mechanisms of stress-related biomarkers, reflective functioning, and epistemic trust in the context of trauma exposure. In addition to her research, she is a practicing clinical psychologist with expertise in perinatal, infant, and early childhood therapy.

Alex Truscott joined the Psychoanalysis Unit in 2017 and works jointly between UCL and Anna Freud as Research and Policy Lead. She is completing a PhD focused on young people’s mental health at the Evidence Based Practice Unit.

Recordings

After the event, a recording of the webinar will be available to registered participants (on request) for 6 weeks. 

Further Information

Registration is required to attend and is free of charge. Please register by 09:00 (UK Time) on Thursday 26 February 2026.

The webinar will be held remotely over Zoom. Instructions to join the event will be circulated ahead of the event.

If you have any queries, please contact us at events.psychoanalysis@ucl.ac.uk 

Image credit: Image by Brian Penny from Pixabay