What does potential for hostility measure? Gender differences in the expression of hostility

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Social Psychology
• Personality Psychology

Background:

• Assessing hostility is crucial for understanding interpersonal dynamics and potential aggression.
• Previous research has primarily focused on male populations, potentially overlooking gender-specific nuances in hostility expression.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the construct validity of the Potential for Hostility (PH) measure in healthy undergraduate males and females.
• To determine if the Structured Interview method for assessing hostility yields comparable results across genders.

Main Methods:

• Study 1: 45 males and 76 females were rated for PH, then completed the Cook Medley Hostility Scale (Ho) and a trait negative affectivity (NA) scale.
• Study 2: 52 males and 91 females were rated for PH and state NA, also providing self-reported state NA and PH measures.
• Statistical analyses examined correlations between observed PH, self-reported hostility, and negative affectivity.

Main Results:

• For males, PH correlated with Cynicism (a Ho subscale) but not NA. For females, PH showed no relation to self-reported hostility and minimal relation to NA.
• In Study 2, male PH scores converged between observed and self-reported measures.
• For females, only self-reported and observed state NA predicted PH ratings, not self-reported PH.

Conclusions:

• The Structured Interview method for hostility assessment may not capture the same construct of hostility in females as it does in males.
• Gender differences in the manifestation and measurement of hostility warrant further investigation.
• Re-evaluating and potentially adapting hostility assessment tools for female populations is recommended.