Key result
Cynical hostility and antagonism, but not overt aggressive behavior or anger-in, were positively related to cardiovascular reactivity in White college women.
Why the study?
Does high interpersonal stress affect cardiovascular reactivity in White college women with varying levels of hostility, aggressiveness, antagonism, and anger-in?
Does high interpersonal stress affect cardiovascular reactivity in White college women with varying levels of hostility, aggressiveness, antagonism, and anger-in?
Cynical hostility and antagonism are associated with increased cardiovascular reactivity during interpersonal stress in White college women.
Cynical hostility may heighten reactivity to stress in young White women; leaves open broader applicability and clinical relevance.
Relations between cardiovascular reactivity and cynical hostility, aggressiveness, antagonism, and anger-in were examined in White college women for conditions of high and low interpersonal stress. High stress was created by having the participants discuss an issue on which they held a strong view with a confederate who adamantly espoused an opposing view. Participants in the low-stress condition discussed an issue on which they held no strong views with a confederate who amicably expressed agreement. Participants higher in cynical hostility exhibited more systolic blood pressure reactivity than individuals lower in cynical hostility in the high interpersonal stress condition only. Also, antagonism was positively related to heart rate reactivity across conditions. However, neither aggressiveness nor anger-in was related to reactivity in either condition. Overall, cynical hostility and a disposition toward disagreeable, manipulative behaviors (i.e., antagonism) but not overt aggressive behavior were found to be related to cardiovascular reactivity.
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Powch et al. (1996) studied this question. Cynical hostility, aggressiveness, antagonism, and anger-in vs. Lower levels of these traits was evaluated on Cardiovascular reactivity (systolic blood pressure and heart rate). Cynical hostility and antagonism, but not overt aggressive behavior or anger-in, were positively related to cardiovascular reactivity in White college women.
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