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
What did Weiss et al. 2012 find about extraversion and health - gorillas study
283 gorillas - personality rated by zoo keepers
- Extraversion measured by how active, playful and sociable they are
- Dominance = strong
- Fearfulness = insecurity
- Understanding = protectiveness
ONLY TRAIT ASSOCIATED WITH SURVIVAL WAS EXTRAVERSION
Low E = less survival
High E = higher survival
- could be immune functioning, stronger social ties, lower CVD (low stress)
What is the link between openness to experience and health?
Chapman et al. 2011
Openness (aesthetic appreciation, novelty, ideas, education) -> cognitive and educational activities -> cognitive reserve -> heath decision making -> increased longevity
What is cognitive reserve?
Resilience to effects of neural disease or injury - brain growth
What is the link between birth rate and personality? - Waxmen et al. 2013
Low birth rate = Low E and O, High N, A and C
- more stressful environment at birth - brain development
- or higher parental monitoring and behaviour restrictions
What is the impact of chronic diseases on the Big 5? - Jokela et al. 2014
Meta analysis of four longitudinal studies
17,000 people who had one to two disease (heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer, arthritis), personality isn’t affected
Extraversion decreases with 3 or more disease
Particularly for people with strokes but not as much with cancer!
What are the 5 T’s - Hagger-Johnson & Pollard Whiteman, 2008 - PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS FOR RESEARCH ON PERSONALITY AND PHYSICAL HEALTH - HELPING PROBLEMS W PERSONALITY
- Targeting = better job at targeting health promotion campaigns to those who will benefit from this (high in sensation seeking - discouragement against risky behaviours
- Tailoring = health interventions to those most in need
- Training = overcome trait related difficulties - better coping mechanisms with stress
- Treatment = more controversial (using drugs to increase low levels)
- Transformation = for people who have health conditions that make be affecting their personality
