Research
30+ years of research; 25+ countries
Over 450 peer-reviewed articles from independent research labs
Special issues in journals have been dedicated to disseminating national and international contributions (including in Attachment and Human Development, 2000, Infant Mental Health Journal, 2005, and Parenting: Science and Practice, 2009). A comprehensive review is Biringen et al. (2014) in Development Review. Three additional review articles have been published, one Clark et al (2021) in Brain Sciences, and two by Biringen et al. (2022, 2023), both in Human Development. Please go through the below articles knowing that when you click on the doi link, you can directly see the abstract. Many of the articles also have other clickable links that take you directly to the full article. Still others are open-access journals and if you type in the full title on the web, you should be able to see the article in totality. The attachments below show easily printable versions, one being by research area and the other the alphabetical list. The alphabetical reference list has only one mention of a specific work, whereas 'by areas' list often puts the same reference in multiple locations, e.g., 'preterms' as well as 'attachment', if that is relevant.
EA publications: Studies of basic science, prevention/intervention, and clinical applications
Shai, D., Black, A.L., Spencer, R., Sleed, M., Baradon, T., Nolte , T., & Fonagy, P. (2022). Trust Me! Parental embodied mentalizing predicts infant cognitive and language development in longitudinal follow up. Frontiers in Psychology. 13. PMID: 35992465 PMCID: PMC9386006 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.867134
Shakiba, N., Doron, G., Gordon-Hacker, A., Egotubov, A., Wagner, N.J., Gueron-Sela, N. (2023). Mother-infant emotional availability through the COVID-19 pandemic: Examining continuity, stability, and bidirectional associations. Infancy. 28, 34-55. PMID: 36468187 PMCID: PMC9877570 DOI: 10.1111/infa.12517
Shakiba, N., Doron, G., Gordon-Hacker, A., Egotubov, A., Wagner, N.J., Gueron-Sela, N. (2023). Mother-infant emotional availability through the COVID-19 pandemic: Examining continuity, stability, and bidirectional associations. Infancy. 28, 34-55. PMID: 36468187 PMCID: PMC9877570 DOI: 10.1111/infa.12517
Sher-Censor, E., Harel, M., Oppenheim, D., & Aran, A. (2024). Parental representations and emotional availability: The case of children with autism and severe behavior problems. Journal of Autism & Developmental Disorders. 13. PMID: 39538042 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-024-06629-3
Sher‑Censor, E., Dolev, S., Said, M. & Baransi, N. & Amara, N. (2017). Coherence of representations regarding the child, resolution of the child’s diagnosis and emotional availability: A study of Arab-Israeli mothers of children with ASD. Journal of Autism Developmental Disorders, 47, 3139–3149. PMID: 28695436 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-017-3228-8
Shilo, Y., & Serdtse, Y. (2022). The relationship between emotional availability of the mother and behavior problems in the child. Hybrid Journal of Psychology, 3. No doi located.
Shivers, E. M. (2008). Using the emotional availability scales along the child care continuum. Journal of Early Childhood and Infant Psychology, 4. No doi located.
Silletti, F., Salvadori, E.A., Presaghi, F., Fasolo, M., Aureli, T., & Coppola, G. Maternal mind-mindedness during the first year of life: Developmental trajectories and moderators. Developmental Psychology, 58, 1615-1628. PMID: 35737537 DOI: 10.1037/dev0001389
Skaug, S., Englund, K.T., & Wichstrom, L. (2018). Young children’s television viewing and the quality of their interactions with parents: A prospective community study. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 59, 503–510. PMID: 29992583 DOI: 10.1111/sjop.12467
Skaug, S., Englund, K.T., Saksvik-Lehouillier, I., Lydersen, S., & Wichstrøm, L. (2018). Parent-child interactions during traditional and interactive media settings: A pilot randomized control study. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 59, 135-145. PMID: 29244208 DOI: 10.1111/sjop.12420
Soderberg, A. K., Elfors, C., Holmqvist Larsson, M., Falkenstr.m, F., & Holmqvist, R. (2013). Emotional availability in psychotherapy: The usefulness and validity of the Emotional Availability Scales for analyzing the psychotherapeutic relationship. Psychotherapy Research, 24, 91–102. PMID: 23957271 DOI: 10.1080/10503307.2013.826833
Sofri, I., Czik, A., & Ziv, Y. (2025). Parent–child emotional availability, children's early emotional reflectivity skills, and social behavior in kindergarten. Family Relations: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Applied Family Studies. 74(2), 951–968. https://doi.org/10.1111/fare.13131
Söldner, L., & Paulus, M. (2025). The moral self in formation: Caregiver emotional availability and early prosocial behavior predict preschoolers' moral self-concept. Developmental Psychology, 16. doi: 10.1037/dev0001902. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39818922. PMID: 39818922 DOI: 10.1037/dev0001902
Sorce, J. F., & Emde, R.N. (1981). Mothers presence is not enough: Effect of emotional availability on infant exploration. Developmental Psychology, 17, 737-745. https://doi.org/10.1037/0012-1649.17.6.737
Sprengeler, M.K., Mattheß, .J, Galeris, M.G., Ecker,t M., Koch, G., Reinhold, T., Berghöfer, A., Fricke, J., Roll, S., Keil, T., Ludwig-Körner, C,. Kuchinke, L, von Klitzing, K., White, L.O., & Schlensog-Schuster,. F. (2023). Being an infant in a pandemic: Influences of the COVID-19 pandemic on infants, toddlers and their mothers in a clinical population. Children (Basel). 10. PMID: 38136087 PMCID: PMC10742006 DOI: 10.3390/children10121885
Stack, D.M,, Matte-Gagné, C., & Dickson, D.J. (2019). Persistence of effects of VLBW/PT birth status and maternal emotional availability (EA) on child EA trajectories. Frontiers in Psychology, 29;9, 2715. PMID: 30761058 PMCID: PMC6361804 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02715
Stack, D.M., Serbin, L.A., Girouard, N., Enns, L.N., Bentley, V.M., Ledingham, J.E., Schwartzman, A.E. (2012). The quality of the mother-child relationship in high-risk dyads: Application of the Emotional Availability Scales in an intergenerational, longitudinal study. Development & Psychopathology, 24, 93-105. PMID: 22292996 DOI: 10.1017/S095457941100068X
Steinsbekk, S., Bonneville-Roussy, A., Fildes, A., Llewellyn, C., & Wichstrom, L. (2017). Child and parent predictors of picky eating from preschool to school age. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 14. PMID: 28679411 PMCID: PMC5498871 DOI: 10.1186/s12966-017-0542-7
Sutherland, K, Altenhofen, S., & Biringen, Z. (2012). Emotional availability during mother-child interactions in divorcing and intact married families. Divorce & Remarriage, 53, 126-141. DOI: 10.1080/10502556.2011.651974
Suwa, E., Kondo-Ikemura, K., & Sakai, S. (2012).
Can preschoolers’ narratives reflect their mothers’ emotional availability? Journal of Brain Science, 38, 6–20.（No DOI available）
Swanson, K., Beckwith, L., & Howard, J. (2000). Intrusive caregiving and quality of attachment in prenatally drug-exposed toddlers and their primary caregivers. Attachment & Human Development, 2, 130-148. PMID: 11707907 DOI: 10.1080/14616730050085527
Swartz, M. I., & Easterbrooks, M.A. (2008). Enhancing parent-provider relationships and communication in infant and toddler classrooms. Journal of Early Childhood and Infant Psychology, vol. 4, annual 2008, pp. 53+. Gale Academic OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A220640571/AONE?u=anon~5f9500e1&sid=googleScholar&xid=c1640e61.
Tambelli, R., Trentini, C., & Dentale, F. (2020). Predictive and incremental validity of parental representations during pregnancy on child attachment. Frontiers, 8, 1-11. PMID: 33344391 PMCID: PMC7738461 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2020.439449
Tambelli, R., Trentini, C., & Dentale, F. (2020). Predictive and incremental validity of parental representations during pregnancy on child attachment. Frontiers, 8, 1-11. PMID: 33344391 PMCID: PMC7738461 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2020.439449
Tarullo, A.R.,Tuladhar, C.T., Kao, K., Drury, E.B. & Meyer, J. (2020). Cortisol and socioeconomic status in early childhood: A multidimensional assessment. Developmental Psychopathology, 32, 1876-1887. PMCID: PMC7938639 NIHMSID: NIHMS1675397 PMID: 33427182 DOI: 10.1017/S0954579420001315
Tasel-Gunal, Z., & Arikan, G. (2024). How do emotional availability, attachment, and parenting stress relate to attachment security? Findings from Turkish mother-toddler dyads. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 33(7), 2310–2323. DOI: 10.1007/s10826-024-02783-5
Taylor-Colls, S. & Pasco Fearon, R.M. (2015). The effects of parental behavior on infants' neural processing of emotion expressions. Child Development, 86, 877-888. PMID: 25676831 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.12348
Taylor-Colls, S. & Pasco Fearon, R.M. (2015). The effects of parental behavior on infants' neural processing of emotion expressions. Child Development, 86, 877-888. PMID: 25676831 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.12348
Thomas, R., & Zimmer-Gembeck, M.J. (2011). Accumulating evidence for parent-child interaction therapy in the prevention of child maltreatment. Child Development, 82, 177-92. PMID: 21291436 DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-8624.2010.01548.x
Timmer, S.G., Thompson, D, Culver, M.A., Urquiza, A.J,. & Altenhofen, S. (2012). Mothers' physical abusiveness in a context of violence: Effects on the mother-child relationship. Development & Psychopathology. 24, 79-92. PMID: 22292995 DOI: 10.1017/S0954579411000678
Trapolini, T., Ungerer, J.A., & McMahon, C.A. (2008). Maternal depression: relations with maternal caregiving representations and emotional availability during the preschool years. Attachment & Human Development, 10, 73-90. PMID: 18351495 DOI: 10.1080/14616730801900712
Trupe, R.D., Macfie, J., Skadberg, R.M.,& Kurdziel, G. (2018). Patterns of emotional availability between mothers and young children: Associations with risk factors for borderline personality disorder. Infant Child Developmen,. 27. PMCID: PMC5944349 NIHMSID: NIHMS878816 PMID: 29755295 DOI: 10.1002/icd.2046
Tsutsumi, T., Kanehira, N., Suwa, E., Kawamura, Y., & Mizutani, N. (2021). Study of an empirical assessment for understanding emotional interactions between mothers and children with autism spectrum disorders. Human Sciences: Bulletin of Osaka University of Human Sciences, 20, 79–89.（No DOI available）
Ustun Gullu, B., Oztop, D.B., Umutlu Aydin, E, Ors ,B, Cikili Uytun, M., & Yurumez, E. (2024). Interactions between autistics and healthy children and their parents in emotional availability: A comparative study. Global Mental Health (Camb). PMID: 39464557 PMCID: PMC11505039 DOI: 10.1017/gmh.2024.102
Uytun, M.C., Yurumez, E., Oztop, D.B., Babayigit, T.M., Efendi, Y.G., & Kilic, B.G. (2020, online). How does adolescent motherhood affect mother-infant/toddler relationship and emotional availability. International Journal of Psychiatry in Clinical Practice. 26, 50-57. PMID: 33019830 DOI: 10.1080/13651501.2020.1828936
Valla, L., Slinning, K., Wentzel-Larsen, T., Røsand, G.M., & Arnardóttir, S.B. (2025). The newborn behavioural observations (NBO) system embedded in routine postpartum care in at-risk families in Iceland: A randomised controlled trial. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth, 25, 13. PMID: 39780054 PMCID: PMC11707989 DOI: 10.1186/s12884-024-07128-0
van Berkel, S. R., Groeneveld, M. G., Mesman, J., Endendijk, J. J., Hallers-Haalboom, E. T., van der Pol, L. D., & Bakermans-Kranenburg, M. J. (2015). Fathers: The interplay between testosterone levels and self-control in relation to parenting quality. Hormones and Behavior, 112, 100-106. DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2019.04.003
van Berkel, S.R., Groeneveld, M.G., Mesman, J., Endendijk, J., Hallers-Haalboom, E.T., van der Pol, L.D. & Bakermans-Kranenburg, M.J. (2015). Parental sensitivity towards toddlers and infant siblings predicting toddler sharing and compliance parental sensitivity. Child and Family Studies, 24, 2270-2279. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-014-0029-y
van den Dries, L., Juffer, F., van Ijzendoorn, M. H., Bakermans-Kranenburg, M. J., & Alink, L. R. A. (2012). Infants’ responsiveness, attachment, and indiscriminate friendliness after international from institutions or foster care in China: Application of Emotional Availability Scales to adoptive families. Development and Psychopathology, 24(1), 49–64. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579411000654
van Doesum, K.T.M., Hosman, C.M.H., Riksen-Walraven, J.M., & Hoefnagels, C. (2007). Correlates of depressed mothers' sensitivity toward their infants: The role of maternal, child and contextual characteristics. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 46, 747-756 PMID: 17513987 DOI: 10.1097/CHI.0b013e318040b272
van Ee, E., Kleber, R..J., & Mooren, T.T.M. (2012). War trauma lingers on: Associations between maternal posttraumatic stress disorder, parent-child interaction, and child development. Infant Mental Health Journal, 33, 459-468. PMID: 28520264 DOI: 10.1002/imhj.21324
van Ijzendoorn, M.H., Rutgers, A.H., Bakermans-Kranenburg, M.J., Swinkels, S.H, van Daalen, E., Dietz, C., Naber, F.B., Buitelaar, J.K., & van Engeland, H. (2007). Parental sensitivity and attachment in children with autism spectrum disorder: comparison with children with mental retardation, with language delays, and with typical development. Child Development, 78, 597-608. PMID: 17381792 DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-8624.2007.01016.x
van IJzendoorn, M.H., Schuengel, C., Wang, Q., & Bakermans-Kranenburg, M.J. (2023). Improving parenting, child attachment, and externalizing behaviors: Meta-analysis of the first 25 randomized controlled trials on the effects of Video-feedback Intervention to Promote Positive Parenting and Sensitive Discipline. Development & Psychopathology, 35, 241-256. PMID: 35034668 DOI: 10.1017/S0954579421001462
Vandesande, S., Bosmans, G., Sterkenburg, P., Schuengel, C., Van keer, I., & Maes, B. (2023). Variation in differential reactions to comfort by parents versus strangers in children with severe or profound intellectual disabilities: The role of parental sensitivity and motor competence. Current Psychology: A Journal for Diverse Perspectives on Diverse Psychological Issues. 42, 12476-12489, https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-02501-0
Verhage, M.L, Schuengel, C., Holopainen, A., Bakermans-Kranenburg, M.J, Bernier, A., Brown, G.L., Madigan, S., Roisman, G.I., Vaever, M.S., & Wong, M.S. (2022). Collaboration on attachment transmission synthesis (CATS). Conceptual comparison of constructs as first step in data harmonization: Parental sensitivity, child temperament, and social support as illustrations. MethodsX. 9:101889. PMID: 36354308 PMCID: PMC9637952 DOI: 10.1016/j.mex.2022.101889
Vliegen, N. (2006). ‘She doesn’t want to look at me’ – Mother-infant observation as a bridge between clinical practice and research. Infant Observation, 9, 261-268. https://doi.org/10.1080/13698030601070623
Vliegen, N., Bijttebier, P., Boulpaep, N., Luyten, P.M., Cluckers, G. & Biringen, Z. (2005). De EA-DSR Een zelfrapporteringsschaal voor het meten van emotionele beschikbaarheid bij ouders van jonge kinderen (0-1 jaar). [The EA-DSR, a parental self report scale measuring emotional availability in interaction with infants (0-1 year). Diagnostiekwijzer. [peer-reviewed Dutch journal], Jaargang, 8, 137-147. No doi located.
Vliegen, N., Luyten, P., & Biringen, Z. (2009). A multimethod perspective on emotional availability in the postpartum period. Parenting, 9, 228-243. https://doi.org/10.1080/15295190902844514
Volling, B.L., Mcelwain, N.L., Notaro, P.C., & Herrera, C. (2002). Parents’ emotional availability and infant emotional competence: Predictors of parent-infant attachment and emerging self-regulation. Journal of Family Psychology, 16, 447-465. PMID: 12561291 DOI: 10.1037//0893-3200.16.4.447
Volling, B.L., Mcelwain, N.L., Notaro, P.C., & Herrera, C. (2002). Parents’ emotional availability and infant emotional competence: Predictors of parent-infant attachment and emerging self-regulation. Journal of Family Psychology, 16, 447-465. PMID: 12561291 DOI: 10.1037//0893-3200.16.4.447