Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Knowing Your Partner Is Not Enough: Spousal Importance Moderates The Link Between Attitude Familiarity And Ambulatory Blood Pressure, Wendy C. Birmingham, Bert N. Uchino, David M. Sanbonmatsu

Faculty Publications

Close relationships have been linked to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. More research is needed, however, on the social and biological processes responsible for such links. In this study, we examined the role of relationship-based attitudinal processes (i.e., attitude familiarity and partner importance) on ambulatory blood pressure during daily life. Forty-seven married couples completed a questionnaire regarding their own attitudes, perceptions of their partner’s attitudes, and perceptions of partner importance. They also underwent a 1-day ambulatory assessments of daily spousal interactions and blood pressure. Partner importance was related to better interpersonal functioning (e.g., partner responsiveness) and lower ambulatory systolic blood pressure. …