EXPRESSIVE, BUT NOT NEUROTIC HOSTILITY IS RELATED TO CARDIOVASCULAR REACTIVITY DURING A HOSTILE COMPETITIVE TASK

Several dimensions of hostility have been related to coronary heart di sease (CHD) and cardiovascular (CV) reactivity. Neuroticism and dimens ions of hostility associated with neuroticism have generally been unre lated to CHD. The present study examined relationships between the exp ressive and neurotic hostility components of the Buss Durkee Hostility Inventory (BDHI) and CV reactivity in 25 men and 18 women undergradua te students. Subjects competed against and were harassed by a confeder ate during competition on a video game. Subjects with expressive hosti lity scores above the median had higher SBP and heart rate (HR) reacti vity than subjects with scores below the median. Neurotic hostility wa s not related to CV reactivity. The results support the hypothesis tha t CV reactivity may be a risk factor in the development of CHD and sug gest that attempts to relate dimensions of hostility to CV reactivity may be more successful if dimensions of hostility unrelated to neuroti cism are studied.