MODE-SPECIFIC IMPACT OF RELAXATION TRAINING FOR HYPERTENSIVE MEN WITHTYPE-A BEHAVIOR PATTERN

Multimodal therapy calls for selection of interventions on the basis o f the specific modes of functioning that they are expected to affect. Mode-specificity assumptions were tested in a study of progressive mus cle relaxation (PMR) training for type A men with borderline hypertens ion. It was expected that PMR would be especially effective in reducin g psychophysiological reactivity and not effective for hostile cogniti on or behavioral anger expression. Forty-three subjects were randomly assigned to a control group receiving medical information or to inform ation + PMR. PMR subjects reduced blood pressure reactivity to an ange r-instigating role-play more than did controls. Although trait questio nnaire measures of hostility and outward anger expression showed no gr oup differences, a think-aloud measure of hostility and an observation al measure of anger expression favoured PMR. Discussion focuses on alt ernative explanations for these results, including the possibility tha t measures failing to show treatment effects were those confounded wit h negative affectivity.