This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Davis, M. C. Articles by McGrath, C. E. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Davis, M. C. Articles by McGrath, C. E. Related Collections Personality Psychophysiology

Hostile Attitudes Predict Elevated Vascular Resistance During Interpersonal Stress in Men and Women

From the Department of Psychology (M.C.D., C.M.), Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona; and Department of Psychiatry (K.A.M.), University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Address reprint requests to: Mary C. Davis, PhD, Department of Psychology, Box 871104, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-1104. Email: mary.davis{at}asu.edu

OBJECTIVE: Existing research indicates that hostility is associated with enhanced blood pressure responses during social stress, but little is known about the hemodynamic patterns underlying these blood pressure increases, particularly in women. The present study examined hemodynamic responses to a low-anger interpersonal stressor, testing the hypotheses that hostile individuals show enhanced vascular responses and that low hostile individuals show enhanced myocardial responses.

METHODS: Eighty undergraduate men and women were categorized as high or low in hostility on the basis of median splits of Cook-Medley Hostility Scale scores. Participants discussed a controversial topic with a confederate who disagreed with them, and hemodynamic responses were assessed with impedance cardiography.

RESULTS: High hostile individuals exhibited greater increases in diastolic blood pressure and total peripheral resistance and smaller increases in cardiac output during an interpersonal stressor than did low hostile individuals. Systolic blood pressure and heart rate increases were greater among high hostile relative to low hostile females and comparable among low and high hostile males. Affective responses and task perceptions were generally similar for high and low hostile participants, but the relationship between task perception and hemodynamic responses varied on the basis of hostility level.

CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that hostility in both men and women is associated with heightened vascular and dampened cardiac responsivity to interpersonal stress that is not deliberately anger provoking. Moreover, they indicate that the associations between task perception and hemodynamic responses vary between high and low hostile individuals.

Key Words: hostility • interpersonalstress • sex • cardiovascular reactivity.

Abbreviations: ANCOVA = analysis of covariance; ANOVA = analysis ofvariance; BP = blood pressure; CHD = coronary heart disease; CO = cardiac output; DBP = diastolic blood pressure; Ho= Cook-Medley Hostility Scale score; HR = heart rate; SBP =systolic blood pressure; TPR = total peripheral resistance.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				L. M. Christian and C. M. Stoney Social Support Versus Social Evaluation: Unique Effects on Vascular and Myocardial Response Patterns Psychosom Med, November 1, 2006; 68(6): 914 - 921. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Carrere, D. Yoshimoto, A. Mittmann, E. M. Woodin, A. Tabares, J. Ullman, C. Swanson, and M. Hawkins The Roles of Marriage and Anger Dysregulation in Biobehavioral Stress Responses Biol Res Nurs, July 1, 2005; 7(1): 30 - 43. [Abstract] [PDF]

				S. H. Boyle, R. B. Williams, D. B. Mark, B. H. Brummett, I. C. Siegler, M. J. Helms, and J. C. Barefoot Hostility as a Predictor of Survival in Patients With Coronary Artery Disease Psychosom Med, September 1, 2004; 66(5): 629 - 632. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				U. Christensen, R. Lund, M. T. Damsgaard, B. E. Holstein, S. Ditlevsen, F. Diderichsen, P. Due, L. Iversen, and J. Lynch Cynical Hostility, Socioeconomic Position, Health Behaviors, and Symptom Load: A Cross-Sectional Analysis in a Danish Population-Based Study Psychosom Med, July 1, 2004; 66(4): 572 - 577. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. S. Thomas, R. A. Nelesen, and J. E. Dimsdale Relationships Between Hostility, Anger Expression, and Blood Pressure Dipping in an Ethnically Diverse Sample Psychosom Med, May 1, 2004; 66(3): 298 - 304. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]