Abstract

Emotional availability (EA) is a prominent index of early socioemotional adaptation. This study aimed to evaluate EA in mother/twin dyadic interaction and to assess stability of maternal EA between first and second born twins. 20 Italian mothers and twins were videotaped and analyzed during the interaction in a semi-structured setting. Children's ages ranged between 13 and 22 months. Using the Emotional Availability Scale (EAS), this study showed no significant difference in maternal EA between first and second born twins. Good reciprocity in mothers and children and a low EA stability of maternal interactions with each twin supported the dyadic theoretical framework of EA. This work contributes to our understanding of mother/twin Emotional Availability and to promote the use of the EAS in the context of Italian developmental and clinical research.