[Structure of the hypochondriacal and hysteroid personality]

Hypochondriacal and hysteroid personalities are considered the extreme variants of defined emotional and motivational dimensions. The hysteroid personality is mainly characterized by a strong need for social attention and respect as well as by a lack of emotional genuiness. For the diagnosis of hypochondriacal and hysteroid personality tendencies, a Hypochondria-Hysteria Inventory was developed and employed in 13 different samples with a total of 1206 persons. The index scores of the individual degrees of hypochondriacal and hysteroid tendencies were demonstrated to be of sufficient reliability. There was no important relationship between the individual degrees of hypochondriacal and hysteroid tendencies. Hypochondriacal tendencies are significantly correlated with general anxiety, neuroticism, depression, inhibition and psychasthenia as well as with a general negative self-concept. There is only a weak and partial significant relationship to the degree of introversion. The intensity of hypochondriacal tendencies increases with age. Hysteroid personality tendencies are significantly associated with extraversion, a certain degree of aggressiveness as well as with unconcern and sociability. The intensity of hysteroid tendencies in older adults is lower than in adolescents and young adults.