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Cardiovascular unwinding, type A behaviour pattern and locus of control
1Department of Psychology, Faculty of Science, North East London Polytechnic, UK.
Insights
Individuals with Type A behavior and internal locus of control experienced less heart rate decline during a shock threat. This suggests personality traits influence physiological responses to stress.
Area of Science:
- Psychophysiology
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Stress and threat perception can significantly impact physiological responses.
- Individual differences in personality and control beliefs may modulate these responses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between personality traits (Type A behavior pattern, locus of control) and physiological responses to a threat of shock.
- To examine heart rate changes during a controlled stressor.
Main Methods:
- Three studies involved exposing subjects to a three-minute threat of possible shock.
- Heart rate was monitored before, during, and after the stressor exposure.
- Statistical analysis was used to correlate personality measures with heart rate changes.
Main Results:
- On average, subjects exhibited higher heart rates before the trial than after.
- Heart rate was higher during the initial minute of exposure compared to the final minute.
- Type A behavior pattern and internal locus of control were associated with a smaller decline in heart rate.
Conclusions:
- Personality factors, specifically Type A behavior and internal locus of control, are linked to attenuated physiological stress responses.
- These findings highlight the role of individual psychological characteristics in moderating the psychophysiological impact of perceived threat.
Abstract:
Three studies are reported, in which subjects were exposed for a period of three minutes to a threat of possible shock. On average subjects showed higher heart rates before the trial than after the trial, and higher rate during the first minute of the trial than the final minute. Results are reported here which show that Type A behaviour pattern and internal locus of control are consistently related to less decline in heart rate.