title: Physiological Reactivity During Parent-Adolescent Discussions: Associations with Scaffolding Behaviors and Relationship Quality.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Parents and adolescents commonly discuss stressful experiences. However, little is known about the features of these conversations that may have implications for health.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred five adolescents and their parents engaged in conversations about two challenging events, with parental contributions to the discussions coded for four scaffolding behaviors (reiterations, negations, move alongs, and new interpretations). Systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and heart rate were measured in both participants at baseline and throughout the conversation. Parent-reported relationship quality was also assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For both parents and adolescents, negative scaffolding behaviors were associated with increased physiological reactivity, whereas positive scaffolding behaviors were associated with decreased reactivity. Furthermore, children in higher quality parent-child relationships showed greater reactivity to reiterations and lower reactivity to new interpretations, but those in lower quality relationships demonstrated the opposite patterns.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Specific aspects of parent-child interactions appear to contribute to physiological responses to challenging events, which in turn may have implications for health.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Swift Hall Suite 102, 2029 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL, 60208-0001, USA, emanczak@u.northwestern.edu.
authors.forename: Erika M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Manczak
authors.forename: Kate C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: McLean
authors.forename: Dan P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: McAdams
authors.forename: Edith
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D003142:Communication; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010287:Parent-Child Relations