Personality may influence reactivity to stress.

Area of Science:

• Psychophysiology
• Cardiovascular Research
• Personality Psychology

Background:

• Psychophysiological hyperreactivity may stem from cognitive-emotional factors.
• Certain personality traits are linked to heightened cardiovascular reactivity.
• Individuals with white coat hypertension exhibit emotion suppression and environmental adaptation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between personality traits and stress reactivity.
• To determine if responses to cold pressor test (CPT) and mental stress test (MST) are associated with distinct personality traits.

Main Methods:

• Eighty-seven men were selected based on blood pressure percentiles.
• Cardiovascular and catecholamine responses to CPT and MST were measured.
• Fifteen personality traits were assessed using the Karolinska Scale of Personality (KSP); multiple linear regression was employed.

Main Results:

• For CPT reactivity, muscular tension, irritability, detachment, psychasthenia, and somatic anxiety were significant predictors.
• During MST, verbal aggression predicted norepinephrine response, and detachment predicted diastolic blood pressure response.
• Detachment and psychasthenia influenced blood pressure reactivity to CPT, while muscular tension affected norepinephrine response to MST. High verbal aggression correlated with lower norepinephrine reactivity during MST.

Conclusions:

• Stress reactivity is demonstrably linked to various personality traits, with no single trait dominating.
• Personality traits appear to be as important, if not more so, in predicting responses to CPT compared to MST.