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Cynical hostility and cardiovascular reactivity during self-disclosure
1Department of Psychology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City 84112.
Psychosomatic Medicine
|March 1, 1993
Summary
Hostile individuals exhibit greater blood pressure reactivity when discussing personal stressors. This highlights the link between hostility, stress, and cardiovascular health.
Area of Science:
- Psychophysiology
- Health Psychology
- Cardiovascular Research
Background:
- Hostility is linked to coronary heart disease (CHD).
- Exaggerated physiological reactivity to social stressors may mediate this link.
- Mistrust and suspiciousness, related to hostility, may influence reactivity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test if self-disclosure of stressful experiences heightens physiological reactivity in hostile individuals.
- To evaluate the psychophysiological reactivity model of hostility and health.
Main Methods:
- Sixty undergraduate men were classified as high or low on the Cook and Medley Hostility (Ho) Scale.
- Participants were randomly assigned to a self-disclosure or non-disclosure condition.
- Blood pressure reactivity was measured during a discussion task.
Main Results:
- Hostile individuals showed significantly greater blood pressure reactivity during self-disclosure compared to less hostile individuals.
- This heightened reactivity was specific to the self-disclosure condition.
Conclusions:
- Results support the psychophysiological reactivity model linking hostility and health.
- Social context, specifically self-disclosure, plays a crucial role in psychosomatic processes related to hostility.