Parents' emotional availability and infant emotional competence: Predictors of parent-infant attachment and emerging self-regulation

Volling, Brenda L.; McElwain, Nancy L.; Notaro, Paul C.; Herrera, Carla

doi:10.1037/0893-3200.16.4.447

Cited by 214Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional DevelopmentAttachment and Relationship DynamicsChild and Animal Learning Development

Parents' emotional availability and infant emotional competence: Predictors of parent-infant attachment and emerging self-regulation

Volling, Brenda L., McElwain, Nancy L., Notaro, Paul C., Herrera, Carla·2002·Journal of Family Psychology

DOI 10.1037/0893-3200.16.4.447

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Abstract

One-year-old infants (N = 62) and their mothers and fathers were observed in free play and teaching sessions in order to examine parents' emotional availability and the infant's emotional competence. Mothers were more emotionally available than fathers, and infants exhibited more effortful attention with mothers than with fathers. Similar relations between parental emotional availability and infant emotional competence were found for mother-infant and father-infant dyads. Change in parental emotional availability covaried with change in infant emotional competence. Individual differences in parental emotional availability and infant emotional competence were more consistent across contexts than across parents. Infant effortful attention at 12 months was a mediator between maternal emotional availability at 12 months and toddler situational compliance at 16 months.

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Fathers' observed sensitivity is sometimes similar to but often lower than mothers' sensitivity.
“with fathers’ observed sensitivity sometimes similar to but often lower than mothers’ sensitivity (e.g., Volling, McElwain, Notaro, & Herrera, 2002).”
From Birth of a Father: Fathering in the First 1,000 Days (2019) · cites this paper as Volling et al., 2002
There are gender differences in expressed emotion during interactions with children.
“literature examining parental behaviors suggests gender differences in expressed emotion during interactions with children (Volling et al., 2002)”
From Approaching the biology of human parental attachment: Brain imaging, oxytocin and coordinated assessments of mothers and fathers (2014) · cites this paper as Volling et al., 2002

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Authors: Volling, B. L., McElwain, N. L., Notaro, P. C., & Herrera, C.
Affiliations: University of Michigan (US)
ORCID: Volling, Brenda L.
McElwain, Nancy L.
Herrera, Carla
Venue: Journal of Family Psychology
Publisher: American Psychological Association (APA)
Published: 2002-12
Volume: 16
Issue: 4
Pages: 447-465
ISSN: 0893-3200 (ISSN-L)
1939-1293
DOI: 10.1037/0893-3200.16.4.447
OpenAlex: W2137237872
Cited by: 214
References: 71
Citations by year: 2026: 5 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 10 · 2021: 15 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 17 · 2018: 15 · 2017: 9 · 2016: 9 · 2015: 10 · 2014: 12 · 2013: 13 · 2012: 14
FWCI: 4.43
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: closed
Locations: Journal of Family Psychology (publishedVersion)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics: Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Attachment and Relationship Dynamics
Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Child and Animal Learning Development
Keywords: parental emotional availability, parent-infant attachment, infant self-regulation, toddler development, free play, educational sessions
MeSH terms: Adult, Affect, Female, Forecasting, Humans, Infant, Male, Object Attachment, Parent-Child Relations, Parents, Infant Behavior, Self Efficacy

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Parents' emotional availability and infant emotional competence: Predictors of parent-infant attachment and emerging self-regulation

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