Emotional availability: theory, research, and intervention.
Attachment theory (Bowlby, 1969) and its limitations are first described. Next, emotional availability (EA; Biringen et al., 1998; Biringen, 2008) is introduced as an expansion upon the original conceptualization of the parent-child attachment relationship. As a construct and as a measure, EA considers the dyadic and emotional qualities of adult-child relationships. EA is predictive of a variety of child outcomes, such as attachment security, emotion regulation, and school readiness. Recently developed programs to enhance adult-child EA are described.
Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Colorado State University , Fort Collins, CO, USA.
Hannah
H
Saunders
Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Colorado State University , Fort Collins, CO, USA.
Allyson
A
Kraus
Department of Brain and Behavioral Science, Psychology Section, University of Pavia , Pavia, Italy.
Lavinia
L
Barone
Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Colorado State University , Fort Collins, CO, USA.
Zeynep
Z
Biringen
attachment; emotional availability; emotional availability scales; intervention; psychology for clinical settings