Abstract
This study investigated the relationship between two dimensions of anger-hostility-the expression of anger-hostility and the experience of anger-hostility-and cardiovascular reactivity in provoked and angered men. A serial subtraction task was administered to 41 male undergraduates who were provoked and angered. A measure of the expression of anger-hostility correlated positively and significantly with systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP) reactivity. There were no significant correlations between a measure of the experience of anger-hostility and cardiovascular reactivity. The two types of anger-hostility were also found to relate differentially to life-style variables that have been identified as risk factors for coronary heart disease (CHD), with only the expression of anger-hostility showing positive relationships with these life-style CHD risk factors. These findings are discussed within the context of a similar differential relationship between the two dimensions of anger-hostility and CAD and CHD. Finally, significant negative relationships were obtained between the experience of anger-hostility and resting BP and heart rate levels. These findings are discussed within the context of other data suggesting that trait anxiety-neuroticism may have protective properties.
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The research reported in this paper was supported in part by Research Grant HL-36027 from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
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Siegman, A.W., Anderson, R., Herbst, J. et al. Dimensions of anger-hostility and cardiovascular reactivity in provoked and angered men. J Behav Med 15, 257–272 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00845355
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00845355