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Emotional availability in mother-child interactions: a reconceptualization for research
1Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver.
The American Journal of Orthopsychiatry
|April 1, 1991
Summary
Emotional availability, previously viewed as solely maternal, is reconceptualized as a relational construct. This shift incorporates child responsiveness and maternal sensitivity for a more holistic understanding of parent-child interaction.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Family Studies
Background:
- Previous literature viewed emotional availability primarily as a maternal attribute.
- Related concepts include maternal psychological unavailability, depression, sensitivity, and control.
- Existing frameworks lack a relational perspective on emotional availability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the literature on emotional availability as a maternal construct.
- To present a reconceptualization of emotional availability as a relational construct.
- To propose future research directions for understanding emotional availability.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of existing research on emotional availability.
- Conceptual analysis of maternal and child factors.
- Synthesis of concepts to form a new relational model.
Main Results:
- Emotional availability is proposed as a dyadic process, not solely a maternal one.
- The reconceptualization integrates maternal sensitivity and nonintrusiveness.
- It also incorporates child responsiveness and maternal involvement.
Conclusions:
- Emotional availability is better understood as a relational construct involving both parent and child.
- This new perspective offers a more comprehensive framework for research.
- Further research is needed to explore the implications of this relational model.