Effects of Hostility on Alcohol Stress-Response-Dampening

The purpose of this study was to compare the stress-response-dampening (SRD) effect of alcohol in hostile and nonhostile men based on a combined score of four subscales of the Cook-Medley Hostility Scale . Subjects were 72 male social drinkers. Subjects' cardiac interbeat-interval, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure reactivity to a situational stressor were measured following the consumption of either alcohol, no alcohol, or an active placebo beverage. Results demonstrated that hostile men evinced lower heart rate and systolic blood pressure (SBP) reactivity to the stressor when given alcohol, compared with intoxicated nonhostile subjects, and lower reactivity relative to all other groups, with the exception of SBP in the nonhostile controls. These results allow for speculation that hostile men may be more likely than controls to experience possible SRD effects of alcohol and thus, perhaps, be predisposed to increased alcohol consumption when under stress.     

SCL-90抑郁和敌对因子特殊作用的量化研究

目的采用症状自评量表（SCL-90）对22831名大学入学新生进行心理健康状况普查,研究抑郁和敌对因子特殊作用。方法运用聚类分析把大学新生分为存在4个自然群：G1-无症状组;G2-轻度症状组;G3-中度症状组;G4-重度症状组。再对4个自然群进行回归分析。结果SCL-90新生测查中,抑郁因子对大学新生的心理问题的预测力最高;敌对因子等因子对大学新生中度心理问题具有较高预测力。结论抑郁和敌对因子对大学新生的心理问题干预具有较高的实践意义。     

Defensive hostility and anger expression: Relationship to additional heart rate reactivity during active coping

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.     

Hostility and sex differences in the magnitude, duration, and determinants of heart rate response to forehead cold pressor: Parasympathetic aspects of risk

Recent models hypothesize that hostility confers increased risk of CHD through weaker parasympathetic dampening of cardiovascular reactivity (CVR). We tested this possibility using the forehead cold pressor task, a common maneuver which elicits the “dive reflex” characterized by a reflexive decrease in HR presumably through cardiac-parasympathetic stimulation. Participants were initially chosen from the outer quartiles of a sample of 670 undergraduates screened using the hostility subscale of the Aggression Questionnaire ([Buss, A.H., Perry, M., 1992. The Aggression Questionnaire. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 63, 452-459.]). The final sample of 80 participants was evenly divided between men and women and high and low hostility. Following a 10-min baseline, participants underwent a 3-min forehead cold pressor task. The task evoked a significant HR deceleration that was mediated by PNS activation, as assessed by respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA). Replicating prior research, men displayed greater decrease in HR. More important, low hostiles maintained larger HR deceleration over time compared to high hostiles although the autonomic basis for this effect was unclear. The findings broaden understanding of hostility and sex-related cardiovascular functioning and support the task as a method for evoking PNS-cardiac stimulation.     

HOSTILITY AS A MODERATOR OF PHYSICAL REACTIVITY AND RECOVERY TO STRESS

This experiment was designed to assess differences in physiological reactivity and recovery to stress among low- and high-hostile men. Specifically, 25 low- and 25 high-hostile undergraduates were identified using the Cook-Medley Hostility Scale (Cook & Medley, 1954). To ensure homogeneity, all subjects were right-handed and had a general right hemibody preference, as indicated by a score of +7 or higher on the Coren, Porac, and Duncan Laterality Test (Corer, Porac, & Duncan, 1979). All subjects underwent a traditional cold-pressor stressor test. Physiological measures heart rate, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure were recorded before the stressor (Prestress), after the stressor (Poststress), and then again 9 min later (Recovery). Increased physiological arousal between pre- and poststress measurements was used as an indicator of reactivity. Subsequent decreases in physiological arousal were used as recover measures. Given the current models of negative emotion and hostility, it was expected that high-hostiles, relative to low-hostiles, would evidence increased physio logical arousal and decreased recovery to stress. Interestingly, high-hostiles experienced significantly greater reactivity to stress in heart rate only, and no group differences were found with regard to recovery. Results are discussed in terms of previous research and current models of emotion.     

Hostility,Agreeableness-Antagonism,and Coronary Heart Disease

Although the Type A Behavior Pattern (TABP) is widely considered to be an important risk factor for CHD, several recent studies have failed to find associations between TABP and CHD. As a result, investigators using the Structured Interview have begun to examine more specific aspects of TAPB, and Potential for Hostility has emerged as the probable 'toxic component' of the pattern. Other measures of cold-blooded or antagonistic hostility have also been associated with CHD, and this form of hostility can be understood as part of the broader personality domain of Agreeableness vs. Antagonism. We suggest that agreeableness-antagonism itself as well as related traits such as mistrust, manipulativeness, arrogance, and aggression should also be examined as promising predictors of CHD     

Relationship between hostility and subjective sleep quality

While hostility and sleep disturbance are the potential risk factors for health problems and disease, few studies have examined the relationship between the two factors. The present study was performed to investigate the relationship between hostility and sleep problems assessed both subjectively and objectively in a nonclinical sample. Sixty-one healthy subjects were enrolled in this study. Hostility was measured according to the Cook–Medley hostility scale. Subjective sleep quality was evaluated according to the global score of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Objective sleep was evaluated using actigraphy. A multiple regression analysis revealed that a higher level of hostility was significantly associated with the global score of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and that a higher level of depression was not associated with the global score of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Objective sleep measures were not found to be associated with hostility. Confirming the robust relationship between poor sleep and hostility would have several important treatment implications for preventing health problems.     

Relationships among demands at work,aggression, and verbal abuse among registered nurses in South Korea

BackgroundIn order to improve organizational culture and job outcomes, it is important to characterize and better understand the relationship between aggression and verbal abuse among nurses.PurposeTo examine the relationships among demands at work, aggression, and verbal abuse among nurses.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted using survey data from three tertiary hospitals located in South Korea. Sixteen nursing units were selected and 378 nurses’ data were used as the final sample. The relationships were examined by multiple linear or logistic regression analyses.FindingsMore than 70% of the nurses had experienced at least 1 type of verbal abuse. Higher physical aggression and hostility were significantly related to greater verbal abuse experience.ConclusionTo prevent the vicious cycle of victims becoming perpetrators, it is necessary to develop and implement concrete strategies to manage verbal abuse and aggression among nurse colleagues.     

Colon cancer: Personality factors predictive of onset and stage of presentation

This study examined premorbid personality correlates of colon cancer and stage of presentation of colon cancer to health care providers. Sixty-one male veterans who completed the MMPI between 1947 and 1975 and were then diagnosed with colon cancer between 1977 and 1988 were matched with control patients. A 21-factor solution of the MMPI [1] was used to seek potential personality differences between colon cancer cases and their controls in terms of presence of colon cancer and stage of presentation for this disease. A stepwise conditional regression analysis found significant differences between the colon cancer and control groups on the Aggressive Hostility variable (p<0.018). A multivariate analysis of variance conducted across the stages of colon cancer presentation found that patients who presented later on for colon cancer had higher Phobia scores (p<0.05). Religious Fundamentalism who also related to presentation (p<0.05), but in a nonlinear manner. Discussion is related to previous findings regarding the relationship between personality and development of cancer, as well as to implications for patient screening.     

Attitudes of house-physicians towards self-poisoning patients

Eighty-two house-physicians filled in a questionnaire concerning the care of self-poisoning patients with special emphasis on training and attitudes. These recently qualified doctors dealt with large numbers of such patients and expressed dissatisfaction with their training in this respect. Hostile attitudes towards these patients developed most clearly at those district hospitals where psychiatrists are rarely available. During their 6 months as a house-physician, doctors at the teaching hospital became more interested in making a full assessment of these patients whereas those at other hospitals became less so.
Better training at both undergraduate and pre-registration level is needed to make house-physicians more able and more willing to fully assess these patients.