Category width as a measure of cognitive style and a personality correlate to hypertension

Abstract

Cognitive style defined as Category Width performance was investigated in a group of untreated hypertensives. A preference for larger Category Width judgments was found to co-vary positively with increasing elevations of systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Interpretation of Cateogry Width performance as a measure of cognitive style suggests that investigation of cognitive style might be an alternative approach to developing psychological correlates to hypertension as opposed to the more common personality trait typology approach. The results of the present study and those of other Category Width studies provide several hypotheses for investigating the environment in relation to hypertension. It is pointed out that the range of Category Width performance would have been masked if means were the basis for statistical inference and not correlations.