[The distressed personality (type D)--correlations with anger, aggression and hostility].

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Health Psychology
• Personality Psychology

Background:

• Type D personality involves experiencing negative emotions (negative affectivity) and inhibiting them socially (social inhibition).
• The distressed personality scale (DS14) assesses Type D personality.
• Previous research indicates Type D personality is associated with adverse health outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To validate the German version of the DS14.
• To examine the interrelation between Type D personality and anger, aggression, and hostility.
• To investigate the psychometric properties of the DS14 in clinical and non-clinical samples.

Main Methods:

• The study utilized a German version of the DS14.
• Participants included 90 coronary heart disease patients and 86 healthy individuals.
• Correlations were analyzed between DS14 subscales and measures of anger, aggression, hostility, neuroticism, and extraversion.

Main Results:

• The two-factor structure of the DS14 was confirmed in both samples.
• Negative affectivity correlated strongly with neuroticism; social inhibition correlated strongly with extraversion.
• Negative affectivity showed significant relationships with multiple anger and aggression measures. Type D individuals reported higher anger experience, including both anger-in and anger-out, and exhibited greater cynicism and hostility.

Conclusions:

• The German DS14 is a valid measure for assessing Type D personality.
• Type D personality is significantly associated with heightened anger, aggression, and hostility.
• Targeted psychological interventions for Type D individuals may be beneficial for managing these negative emotional states.