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Published on: November 19, 2015

Cynical hostility and vulnerability to disease: social support, life stress, and physiological response to conflict

J D Hardy1, T W Smith

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City 84112.

Health Psychology : Official Journal of the Division of Health Psychology, American Psychological Association
|January 1, 1988
PubMed

Insights

High hostility scores are linked to greater anger, cynicism, and physiological stress responses. This suggests cynical hostility may increase disease risk through stress and poor social support.

Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Health Psychology
  • Behavioral Medicine

Background:

  • Previous research links high scores on the Cook and Medley Hostility (Ho) scale to increased risk of coronary heart disease.
  • The construct assessed by the Ho scale requires further clarification regarding its relationship with physiological and psychosocial factors.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the construct validity of the Ho scale.
  • To investigate physiological reactivity during interpersonal conflict in high- and low-Ho groups.
  • To assess the psychosocial profile associated with high hostility.

Main Methods:

  • Selection of extremely high and low Ho groups from male undergraduates.
  • Assessment of anger proneness, interpersonal attitudes, and psychosocial factors.
  • Measurement of physiological reactivity (diastolic blood pressure) during role-played interpersonal conflict.

Main Results:

  • High-Ho participants reported greater anger proneness and cynicism.
  • High-Ho individuals displayed more hostile behavior and less friendly behavior during conflict scenarios.
  • High-Ho individuals exhibited greater diastolic blood pressure reactivity during interpersonal conflict.
  • The high-Ho group reported less social support and more negative life events and daily irritants.

Conclusions:

  • The Ho scale effectively measures cynical hostility.
  • Excessive physiological reactivity and a stressful, unsupportive social network may mediate the link between hostility and disease.
  • Findings support the hypothesis that cynical hostility contributes to adverse health outcomes.

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