Attachment predicts cortisol response and closeness in dyadic social interaction
Affiliation of Author, Researcher, or Creator
Marlboro Institute of Liberal Arts and Interdisciplinary Studies
Department
Marlboro Institute for Liberal Arts and Interdisciplinary Studies
Author(s)
Ketay, S., & Beck, L. A.
Resource Type
Article
Publication, Publisher or Distributor
Psychoneuroendocrinology
Publication Date
2017
Brief Description
The present study examined how the interplay of partners’ attachment styles influences cortisol response, actual closeness, and desired closeness during friendship initiation. Participants provided salivary cortisol samples at four timepoints throughout either a high or low closeness task that facilitated high or low levels of self-disclosure with a potential friend (i.e., another same-sex participant). Levels of actual closeness and desired closeness following the task were measured via inclusion of other in the self. Results from multi-level modeling indicated that the interaction of both participants’ attachment avoidance predicted cortisol response patterns, with participants showing the highest cortisol response when there was a mismatch between their own and their partners’ attachment avoidance. Further, the interaction between both participants’ attachment anxiety predicted actual closeness and desired closeness, with participants both feeling and wanting the most closeness with partners when both they and their partners were low in attachment anxiety.
Keywords
cortisol, adult attachment, friendship, close relationships, relationship initiation, closeness
Recommended Citation
Ketay, S., & Beck, L. A. (2017). Attachment predicts cortisol response and closeness in dyadic social interaction. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 80, 114-121. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2017.03.009
Preferred Citation Style
APA
Peer Reviewed
1
License Agreement
1