Topic 3a - Personality and Physical Health Flashcards
What is the relationship between conscientiousness and physical health?
High in conscientiousness = higher survival rates in a 5 year study of 65-100 year olds (receiving medical insurance)
What are the 4 pathways that link personality and health? - Matthews et al. 2009
- Direct causation: biological link, activation of biological mechanisms (brain areas and hormones) can cause biological changes that link to health problems such as increased blood pressure
- Correlational link: An association, fundamental factor causing both personality trait and health outcome to occur e.g a gene that drives personality is also responsible for health - no causal link just a correlation
- Causal chain: personality trait -> behavioural pattern -> physical health e.g personality trait may dictate engagement in risk taking behaviours
- Somatogenic: health causes changes in personality e.g brain damage can cause personality to change
What are disease-prone personality types? - Friedman & Rosenman, 1959 - TYPE A and TYPE B
Personality factors predicted cardiovascular disease
Type A personality = increased risk of heart disease. Competitive, ambitious, driven, impatient, aggressive, go-getters!
Type B personality = lower risk of heart disease. Relaxed, uninterested in power / achievement, not aggressive
This is a continuum
How to measure Type A personality
- Interview based measure = capture anger and hostility, measure how irritated the PPT got
- Self report Jenkins Activity Survey - covers broader range of components:
-how often do you put words in someone’s mouth
-how fast do you eat
-how is your temper
Type A personality and cardiovascular disease - Maltby et al. 2017 study
Large longitudinal study
Meta analysis - significant but modest effect of type A on CVD - smaller than what was thought, differences in results relate to inconsistent assessment = Interview style method more likely to show links than self report
What did Glass (1977) state the separate components of Type A personality were? (facets)
- Competitively striving for achievement
- Sense of urgency
- Anger and hostility
What did Chida & Steptoe (2009) find about the separate facets of the type A personality trait and CVD?
- Meta analysis
- Anger and hostility component significantly associated with CVD and prognosis - explains why the interview style was more likely to see effects - more sensitive to this component
- Hostility = causation effect - reactivity to stress = increased stress response = increase CVD
What is another disease prone personality type?
Type C - cancer prone
What is the link between personality and cancer? - Kissen & Eysenck, 1962 study
High E, Low N = reluctance to feel emotions (suppress and repress)
However, the study was conducted on people with cancer - the personality trait could be present due to cancer not the other way around
What is Type D personality type? - Denollet 2000
- Distressed personality
- linked to depression and social inhibition
- Poorer recovery from a heart attack and increased risk of heart problems
What is the link between the big 5 traits on health and longevity? - Conscientiousness
Chapman et al. (2011)
High Conscientiousness -> regular exercise, healthy diet, low smoking and drinking -> linked with longer life span
OR biological causal mechanism
High conscientiousness -> better coping mechanisms -> lower interleukin-6 -> increased longevity
What did O’connor et al. (2009) find about people with high conscientiousness and their lifestyle choices? - coping mechanisms
More organised and less chaotic - few daily stressors, better coping (won’t pull an all nighter to do an essay so experience less stress) - more adaptive coping strategies to stress such as going for a walk.
What is the link between Neuroticism and Health?
Chapman et al. (2011)
Neuroticism -> poor exercise, diet, more smoking -> reduced longevity
Negative health behaviours and negative health outcomes
However, some confounding variables (SES and environment)
- Could be correlational (low SES causes higher N and worse health)
What does Friedman (2000) state about healthy vs unhealthy neuroticism?
Healthy neuroticism (high anxiety but low depression and vulnerability) -> engage in more health preventative behaviours -> increased longevity
What is the link between Extraversion and Health?
Chapman et al. 2011
- mixed results, different outcomes for different facets of the trait
- High excitement seeking and impulsivity = associated with addictive and destructive behaviours -> decreased longevity
- Warmth, positive, sociable and assertive facts = more social ties and support, active life -> increased longevity
