title: On the importance of knowing your partner's views: attitude familiarity is associated with better interpersonal functioning and lower ambulatory blood pressure in daily life.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Relationships have been linked to significant physical health outcomes. However, little is known about the more specific processes that might be responsible for such links.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The main aim of this study was to examine a previously unexplored and potentially important form of partner knowledge (i.e., attitude familiarity) on relationship processes and cardiovascular function.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study, 47 married couples completed an attitude familiarity questionnaire and ambulatory assessments of daily spousal interactions and blood pressure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Attitude familiarity was associated with better interpersonal functioning between spouses in daily life (e.g., greater partner responsiveness). Importantly, attitude familiarity was also related to lower overall ambulatory systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data suggest that familiarity with a spouse's attitudes may be an important factor linking relationships to better interpersonal and physical health outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, 84112-0251, USA. david.sanbonmatsu@psych.utah.edu
authors.forename: David M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Sanbonmatsu
authors.forename: Bert N
authors.initials: BN
authors.lastname: Uchino
authors.forename: Wendy
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Birmingham
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology; D000328:Adult; D001290:Attitude; D018660:Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D021641:Recognition, Psychology; D012747:Sexual Partners; D018454:Spouses / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States