Cardiovascular reactivity and neuroticism: Results from a laboratory and controlled ambulatory stress protocol

A laboratory and controlled ambulatory protocol was used to study whether t here are differences in the cardiovascular reactivity of persons varying in neuroticism, the disposition to experience negative subjective emotions. T hirty-six individuals (19 men, 17 women) who scored approximately 1 standar d deviation above or below the mean on the NEO PI-R Neuroticism scale (Cost a & McCrae, 1992) were recruited from a larger pool of undergraduate studen ts. Participants, who had been outfitted with an ambulatory blood pressure/ heart rate monitor, were exposed to 5 laboratory stressors and 7 field stre ssors during a 6-hour protocol. Results indicated that individuals scoring high in neuroticism showed blood pressure reactivity to laboratory and fiel d stressors that was comparable to that of persons low in neuroticism. Aggr egrating responses across stressors, there was evidence of exaggerated hear t rate responses. The results suggested that, although neuroticism is relat ed to high levels of negative subjective experience, differences between pe rsons scoring high versus low in neuroticism were not exhibited strongly at the cardiovascular level. The implications for stress, coping, and disease are discussed.