Interpersonal behavior and resting blood pressure in college women: a daily monitoring study
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Updated: Oct 5, 2026

A Community-based Stress Management Program: Using Wearable Devices to Assess Whole Body Physiological Responses in Non-laboratory Settings
Published on: January 22, 2018
B D'Antono1, B Ditto, D S Moskowitz
1Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. bianca.d'antono@internet.uqam.ca
Unlabelled:
Psychological factors have long been implicated in the development of hypertension. Most studies exploring this relationship employed questionnaires administered on only one occasion.
Objective:
to evaluate the relation between blood pressure and social behavior in the natural environment over an extended period of time.
Method:
40 healthy young adult women at varying risk for hypertension were asked to record their behavior and affect following social interactions, three times a day for 32 days. Behaviors were representative of the interpersonal circumplex: dominance, submissiveness, agreeableness, and quarrelsomeness.
Results:
Casual blood pressure was significantly correlated with submissive behavior (r=.45, P<.05) and inversely correlated with agreeable behavior (r=-.35, P<.05). ANOVAs confirmed these findings and further revealed that offspring of hypertensives with relatively elevated blood pressure were most quarrelsome.
Conclusion:
These results concur with the literature on the relationship between hostility and blood pressure but also suggest the importance of submissiveness in college women.
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Assessment of blood pressure in brachial artery(one-step method)
Prepare for the Procedure:
Blood Pressure
The average BP in an adult is typically around 120/80 mmHg (millimeters of mercury). In this measurement, the numerator (120) indicates the systolic pressure, which is the pressure in the arteries during the contraction of the heart's ventricles as blood is expelled. The denominator (80) represents the diastolic...
Blood Pressure
Special considerations while measuring blood pressure
Monitoring Both Arms:
Monitoring BP in both arms during the initial assessment is advisable, as the systolic value may differ by five to ten mm Hg between arms. For subsequent BP assessments, use the arm with the higher reading.

