Adolescents' nonverbal emotional expressions during negotiation of a disagreement with their mothers: An attachment approach

The present study investigates the influence of attachment representation o n adolescents' nonverbal behaviour during an observed mother-adolescent int eraction task. In a follow-up of the Regensburg longitudinal study, 43 (of the original 51 participating families) 16-year-old adolescents and their m others were observed in a short revealed differences task. Ekman and Friese n's (1978) facial expression descriptions were used in the second-by-second analysis of the adolescents' facial expressions. The analysis assessed emo tional states (anger, sadness, surprise, uneasiness, joy, smiling), manipul ators or adapters as signs of tension (biting of lips, biting nails), emble ms, and eye contact. Concurrently, adolescents were given the Adult Attachm ent Interview to assess their attachment representations using Kobak's Adul t-Attachment-Interview Q-sort. Results showed a significant relationship be tween adolescent attachment representation and adolescent nonverbal facial expression during the interaction task. Attachment security was related to open and positive expression of emotion, whereas dismissive attachment styl e was associated with communication inhibiting behaviour. The results are c ongruent with attachment theory claiming that coherent emotional appraisals of one's own attachment history is a prerequisite to open emotional expres sion and communication of one's feelings to others.