Cook-Medley hostility, anger, and the Type A behavior pattern in Finland

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Cardiology
• Health Psychology

Background:

• Hostility is a known predictor of coronary heart disease (CHD).
• The Cook-Medley scale is frequently used to measure hostility, but its specific construct requires clarification.
• Finland has a high incidence of CHD, making it a relevant location for this research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the construct validity of the Cook-Medley hostility scale in a Finnish university student sample.
• To develop and validate a shorter, more specific measure of cynical distrust related to hostility.

Main Methods:

• The study involved 219 Finnish university students.
• The Cook-Medley scale was administered and analyzed for construct validity.
• A new 9-item subscale measuring Cynical Distrust was developed based on previous research.

Main Results:

• The Cook-Medley scale primarily measures cynicism and distrust.
• The new 9-item Cynical Distrust scale showed positive correlations with cynicism and negative correlations with trust.
• The pattern of correlations for the new scale aligned with previous findings on hostility, anger, and trust.

Conclusions:

• The Cook-Medley scale's primary construct is cynical distrust.
• The newly developed 9-item scale is a valid and more specific measure of cynical distrust.
• This shorter scale offers a practical alternative for assessing cynical distrust in relation to CHD risk.