Positive Attentional Bias, Attachment Style, and Susceptibility to Peer Influence

Susceptibility to peer influence may be related to activation in reward-related brain regions. The current study extends research on the role of reward sensitivity in peer influence by examining whether preferential attention to positive emotional stimuli predicts behavior in peer interactions, and whether this association is moderated by attachment style in a sample of 36 same-sex peer dyads. Positive attentional bias was associated with lower autonomy and greater avoidance with peers. This association was attenuated among individuals with secure attachment style. Attention to negative stimuli was associated with less avoidant and more hostile behavior during peer interactions. Results suggest that preferential attention to positive emotional stimuli is associated with greater susceptibility to peer influence, particularly in individuals low in secure attachment.