Models of personality and disease: an interactional approach to type A behavior and cardiovascular risk

Type A behavior has been established as a risk factor for coronary heart disease. Enhanced cardiovascular and neuroendocrine responsiveness to stressors has been suggested as a pathophysiological link between the behavior pattern and disease. The present article describes a model that places this link in an interactional context. Specifically, it is hypothesized that via cognitive and overt behaviors, Type As construct a subjective and objective environment rich in those classes of stimuli known to elicit enhanced physiological reactivity. This approach differs from previous ones by emphasizing that the Type A pattern represents an ongoing process of challenge and demand engendering behavior. That is, Type A persons do not simply respond to challenges and demands; they seek and create them through their cognitions and actions. This constructed environment also elicits and maintains further Type A behavior. The present view of Type A behavior as a challenge and demand engendering style is contrasted with other conceptual approaches, and implications are discussed.     

Gender-related effects in the perception of anger expression

The purpose of the study was to investigate the influence of sex of stimulus person, sex type of subject, and sex of subject on the social perception of anger expression. One hundred and sixty-six female and 100 male subjects completed a questionnaire that consisted of 10 vignettes depicting the expression of anger by either a female or a male stimulus person. For each vignette, subjects rated the psychological balance, expected frequency of behavior, perceived degree of anger, and appropriateness of behavior. Overall, female stimulus persons were rated higher on all dependent measures, but only male raters significantly differentiated between male and female stimulus persons. Generally, female subjects gave higher ratings, but viewed angry behavior as less appropriate than did male subjects. Ratings were also found to be related to subjects' scores on Extended Personal Attributes Questionnaire scales that involved socially undesirable traits. Post hoc analysis indicated that the type of anger response (“aggressive” or “nonaggressive”) was also an important variable, especially for the female subjects.     

Gender, Appraisal, and Coping: A Longitudinal Analysis

ABSTRACT For 21 consecutive days, 186 male and female college students recalled the most stressful event of the day, recorded how the event was appraised, and indicated the coping methods they employed as well as their perceived effectiveness and the sequence in which they were used. Gender differences in seven coping strategies were examined in terms of frequency of use, extent of use, relative use, and the frequency with which each method was used first in the coping sequence. The gender differences that emerged were consistent with a socialization hypothesis that predicts more problem-focused coping in men and more use of support seeking and emotion-focused coping in women. Both men and women rated problem-focused coping responses as more generally effective than seeking social support, and the latter as more effective than emotion-focused coping responses. Additionally, we explored the roles of stressor type and of threat, challenge, and control appraisals in the observed gender differences.