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Defensive hostility and anger expression: Relationship to additional heart rate reactivity during active coping
Author(s) -
LARSON MARK R.,
LANGER ALAN W.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
psychophysiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.661
H-Index - 156
eISSN - 1469-8986
pISSN - 0048-5772
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-8986.1997.tb02129.x
Subject(s) - hostility , psychology , anger , coping (psychology) , social psychology , reactivity (psychology) , heart rate , developmental psychology , clinical psychology , medicine , alternative medicine , pathology , blood pressure
The main purpose of the present study was twofold: (a) to assess the relationship between defensive hostility (high hostility/high defensiveness) and additional heart rate reactivity during active coping and (b) to determine if the construct of anger‐out might lend additional, sensitivity to the predictive power of the defensive hostility model. Forty individuals were randomly assigned to complete a mental arithmetic task with or without the threat of shock. Participants also completed the Cook‐Medley Hostility Inventory (Ho), the Marlowe‐Crowne Social Desirability Scale (MC), and the Spielberger Anger Expression Scale. Defensive hostile subjects (high Ho/high MC) were significantly more reactive than any other subgroup. In addition, the combination of low Ho/high anger‐out scores yielded a subgroup significantly less reactive than any other subgroup. These findings clarify the complex relationship of hostility and cardiovascular reactivity.