Adolescents' attachment orientation influences ambulatory blood pressure responses to everyday social interactions.
OBJECTIVE
Adult attachment theory provides a useful framework for understanding how early developmental experiences affect social processes, associated physiological stress responses, and ultimately, health across the lifespan. The current study examined the effects of attachment orientation on physiological responses to naturalistic social interactions in adolescents.


METHODS
Two-hundred five black (49%) and white high school students (14-16 years; 50% boys) completed a measure of anxious and avoidant attachment, and underwent 1.5 days of ambulatory blood pressure and heart rate (AmBP and AmHR) monitoring while they tracked social experiences.


RESULTS
As predicted, individuals with higher avoidant attachment reported fewer interactions with friends (t [299] = -3.18, p < .01) and more anxious adolescents experienced less pleasant interactions both during (t [299] = -3.59, p < .01) and outside of school hours (t [298] = -3.59, p < .01). Individuals who were higher in anxious attachment showed augmented ambulatory diastolic and systolic blood pressure (AmDBP, AmSBP; both p < .05) in conjunction with current or recent interactions with friends. More avoidant adolescents exhibited augmented AmDBP responses to social conflict (p < .05).


CONCLUSIONS
The current findings suggest that adolescent attachment orientation may shape later physical health through influences on the nature of, and physiological responses to, social interactions in everyday life.
SDSU/UCSD Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California, USA. lcgallo@sciences.sdsu.edu
Linda C
LC
Gallo
Karen A
KA
Matthews
D000293:Adolescent; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D018660:Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D009769:Object Attachment; D012919:Social Behavior; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000503:physiopathology