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Physiological responses in high-P subjects during active and passive coping
1Department of Psychology, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Summary
High-scoring psychoticism (P) individuals show greater sympathetic nervous system arousal during active coping with aversive stimuli. These psychophysiological differences in personality are situation-specific, not observed during passive coping.
Area of Science:
- Psychophysiology
- Personality Psychology
- Autonomic Nervous System Research
Background:
- Eysenck's psychoticism (P) dimension lacks well-defined psychophysiological correlates.
- Previous research findings on psychoticism's physiological basis are inconsistent.
- Understanding the autonomic nervous system's role in psychoticism is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate psychophysiological differences between high and low psychoticism scorers.
- To examine sympathetic and parasympathetic arousal in relation to coping styles.
- To identify situational specificity of autonomic nervous system functioning in psychoticism.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ) to assess psychoticism.
- Employed an active-passive coping paradigm with an aversive auditory stimulus.
- Measured cardiovascular variables (heart period, variance, T-wave amplitude) and skin conductance.
Main Results:
- High-P subjects displayed greater sympathetic arousal under active coping conditions.
- No significant physiological differences were found between high- and low-P subjects during passive coping.
- Autonomic nervous system responses varied based on both personality and coping strategy.
Conclusions:
- Psychophysiological differences linked to psychoticism are situation-dependent.
- Autonomic nervous system functioning may differ between high and low P scorers, but only under specific conditions.
- Active coping situations may reveal differential sympathetic arousal patterns in individuals with high psychoticism.