Hostility Scale Research Articles

Relationship between hostility and subjective sleep quality

While hostility and sleep disturbance are the potential risk factors for health problems and disease, few studies have examined the relationship between the two factors. The present study was performed to investigate the relationship between hostility and sleep problems assessed both subjectively and objectively in a nonclinical sample. Sixty-one healthy subjects were enrolled in this study. Hostility was measured according to the Cook–Medley hostility scale. Subjective sleep quality was evaluated according to the global score of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Objective sleep was evaluated using actigraphy. A multiple regression analysis revealed that a higher level of hostility was significantly associated with the global score of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and that a higher level of depression was not associated with the global score of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Objective sleep measures were not found to be associated with hostility. Confirming the robust relationship between poor sleep and hostility would have several important treatment implications for preventing health problems.

BDNF serum concentrations in first psychotic episode drug-naïve schizophrenic patients: Associations with personality and BDNF Val66Met polymorphism

AimsTo investigate the relationship among brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) serum concentrations, BDNF Val66Met polymorphism and personality profile in drug-naïve schizophrenic patients with first-episode psychosis (FEP) and healthy participants. Main methodsThis cross-sectional study included fifty FEP patients and fifty healthy participants who served as controls. To study their personality profile the standardized Greek version of the Alternative Five-Factor Zuckerman–Kuhlman Personality Questionnaire (ZKPQ) was administered. Serum BDNF levels were measured and genotyping of BDNF Val66Met polymorphism was performed in patients and healthy subjects. Key findingsFEP patients presented lower BDNF serum concentrations (P=0.002) and higher scores in ZKPQ Neuroticism (P=0.001) and Aggression–Hostility (P=0.002) scales while lower scores in the ZKPQ Sociability scale (P<0.001) than healthy participants. Multivariate analysis revealed that the odds of being assessed with FEP were 0.4 times lower in those with higher BDNF values (P<0.001) and 1.8 times greater in those with higher Neuroticism scores (P<0.001). There were no significant differences with respect to the Val66Met polymorphism between patients and healthy participants. SignificanceReduced BDNF serum concentrations along with higher Neuroticism scores might be associated with FEP. A complex interplay between BDNF serum concentrations, personality traits, BDNF Val66Met polymorphism, and psychotic symptomatology has been arisen but further investigation is needed to better clarify the observed associations.

Personality Trait Predictors of Placebo Analgesia and Neurobiological Correlates

Personality traits have been shown to interact with environmental cues to modulate biological responses including treatment responses, and potentially having a role in the formation of placebo effects. Here, we assessed psychological traits in 50 healthy controls as to their capacity to predict placebo analgesic effects, placebo-induced activation of μ-opioid neurotransmission and changes in cortisol plasma levels during a sustained experimental pain challenge (hypertonic saline infused in the masseter muscle) with and without placebo administration. Statistical analyses showed that an aggregate of scores from Ego-Resiliency, NEO Altruism, NEO Straightforwardness (positive predictors) and NEO Angry Hostility (negative predictor) scales accounted for 25% of the variance in placebo analgesic responses. Molecular imaging showed that subjects scoring above the median in a composite of those trait measures also presented greater placebo-induced activation of μ-opioid neurotransmission in the subgenual and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), orbitofrontal cortex, insula, nucleus accumbens, amygdala and periaqueductal gray (PAG). Endogenous opioid release in the dorsal ACC and PAG was positively correlated with placebo-induced reductions in pain ratings. Significant reductions in cortisol levels were observed during placebo administration and were positively correlated with decreases in pain ratings, μ-opioid system activation in the dorsal ACC and PAG, and as a trend, negatively with NEO Angry Hostility scores. Our results show that personality traits explain a substantial proportion of the variance in placebo analgesic responses and are further associated with activations in endogenous opioid neurotransmission, and as a trend cortisol plasma levels. This initial data, if replicated in larger sample, suggest that simple trait measures easily deployable in the field could be utilized to reduce variability in clinical trials, but may also point to measures of individual resiliency in the face of aversive stimuli such as persistent pain and potentially other stressors.

Psychometric properties of the Cook Medley Hostility Scale and its association with inflammatory markers in African Americans

Dispositional hostility as measured by the Cook Medley Hostility (Ho) Scale has been associated with inflammation and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. There is evidence that suggests that factors of hostility are more useful in predicting poor cardiovascular health outcomes than a single hostility construct. The purpose of this study was to investigate the latent factors of hostility and their association with inflammatory markers interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP) in an African-American community sample. This racial/ethnic group has been largely excluded from this line of research despite their disproportionate burden of CVD and its risk factors. Blood samples for plasma IL-6 and CRP were collected on the same day the Ho Scale was administered. Plasma IL-6 and CRP levels were determined using enzymatic-linked immunosorbent assay. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed three latent main factors of hostility: Neuroticism, Manichaeism and Moral Primitiveness, and seven intermediary subfactors. Of the subfactors, hostile affect was significantly associated with greater CRP levels and predatory self interest was significantly associated with greater IL-6 levels. Findings suggest that African Americans have a unique pattern of hostility and two latent subfactors are associated with a marker of CVD. Based on the findings, future studies should aim to further delineate how hostility influences health outcomes in African Americans.

Psychosocial Correlates of Atrial Natriuretic Peptide: A Marker of Vascular Health

Psychosocial factors have been associated with cardiovascular outcomes, but few studies have examined the association between psychosocial function and natriuretic peptides. The purpose of this study is to determine the predictive value of hostility, anger, and social support in relation to atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), a marker of vascular health, among middle-aged men. One hundred twenty-one men (mean age = 39.8 years, SD = 4.1) underwent assessments of ANP and completed the Cook-Medley Hostility Scale, the Spielberger State-Trait Anger Scale, and the Interview Schedule for Social Interaction. Higher levels of hostility (β = 0.22 [95 % CI 0.04, 0.40], P = 0.032) and trait anger (β = 0.18 [95 % CI 0.01, 0.37], P = 0.044) were associated with greater ANP levels. In contrast, higher perceived social support was also associated with lower ANP levels, (β = -0.19 [95 % CI -0.05, -0.41], P = 0.010). Psychosocial factors, including hostility, anger, and social support, are associated with varying ANP levels among middle-aged men, independent of cardiovascular and behavioral risk factors.

Hostile Mood and Social Strain During Daily Life: A Test of the Transactional Model

Hostility is a multidimensional construct related to cardiovascular (CV) disease risk. Daily hostile mood and social interactions may precipitate stress-related CV responses in hostile individuals. Determine whether trait cognitive hostility best predicts daily hostile mood and social interactions relative to other trait hostility factors and explore the temporal links between these daily measures. One hundred seventy-one participants completed assessments of four trait hostility scales. Participants completed an electronic diary across 3days, assessing current hostile mood and social interaction quality. Multiple regression analyses revealed both affective and cognitive hostility to be significant predictors of daily hostile mood, and cognitive hostility alone to predict daily social strain. Additional analyses revealed previous social strain to predict elevated subsequent hostile mood. Episodes of social strain may give rise to elevated hostile mood. Trait cognitive hostility may be an important factor in predicting daily social strain.

Intervention in Conflicts from a Network Perspective

Whether neutral or on the side of a combatant, third-party states’ intervention in ongoing interstate conflicts is a triadic phenomenon which involves ties between a joining state and the two originators of the dispute. Existing studies on this topic have failed to fully capture the triadic nature of intervention, preferring instead to focus either on the joiner’s motivations or on the distinct dyadic relationships between joiners and the two separate combatants. Building on classic structural theories of triadic balance and on prior work by Maoz et al. (2007), in this article we address the triadic aspect of both mediation and “joining behavior”. The nature of the triadic relations among disputants and third parties influences not just the likelihood of intervention, but also the type of intervention. When triadic relations are unbalanced, third parties are more likely to intervene as intermediaries. On the contrary, when triadic relations are balanced, third parties are more likely to intervene in a partisan manner. We explore our main hypotheses by constructing a triadic data set that combines Corbetta and Dixon’s (2005) data on partisan third-party interventions and Frazier and Dixon’s (2006) data on neutral (intermediary) interventions in militarized interstate disputes with a friendship–hostility scale extracted from international events data (IDEA and COPDAB).

Abstract P084: Associations of Anger and Hostility with the Metabolic Syndrome: Cross-sectional Analyses from the Jackson Heart Study

There is evidence that anger and hostility are positively associated with the metabolic syndrome. In turn, the metabolic syndrome mediates the association between anger and hostility and adverse cardiac events. Very little is known about these associations in African-American populations. We assessed the hypothesis that anger and hostility are positively associated with the metabolic syndrome in an African-American cohort. Participants were 2,732 African-American men and women, ages 45 – 95, who were enrolled in the Jackson Heart Study at baseline. Anger was measured using the Spielberger State-Trait Anger Inventory, and hostility was measured using the Cook-Medley Hostility Scale. The metabolic syndrome was defined by the National Cholesterol Education Program, Adult Treatment Panel III criteria. Overall anger, components anger-in and anger-out, and hostility scores were entered into separate logistic regression models as continuous variables. In models adjusted for age, sex, educational level, and physical activity, higher levels of overall anger (β = 0.024, p = 0.006), anger-in (β = 0.028, p = 0.04), anger-out (β = 0.037, p = 0.04), and hostility (β = 0.021, p = 0.04) were associated with an increased prevalence of the metabolic syndrome. The correlation between anger and hostility was statistically significant but not strong (r = 0.38, p &lt;0.0001). In men, 5 of the 16 individual anger items were significantly associated with the metabolic syndrome. The strongest was “I lose my temper” (β = 0.395, p = 0.003) and “I tend to harbor grudges” (β = 0.314, p = 0.008). In women, only 1 anger item, “I make sarcastic remarks” (β = 0.189, p = 0.04) was associated with the metabolic syndrome. In conclusion, higher levels of overall anger, anger-in, anger-out, and hostility were associated with an increased prevalence of the metabolic syndrome in middle- and older-aged African-American men and women. In men, an angry temperament and a tendency to hold grudges were particularly strong correlates of the metabolic syndrome. Increased understanding of the negative emotions anger and hostility among African-Americans may provide greater insights into cardiovascular disease risk in their population.

Decreased suicidal ideation in depressed patients with or without comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder treated with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors: An open study

Comorbidity of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and major depressive disorder (MDD) is associated with higher morbidity including suicidal ideation and behavior. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are a known treatment for PTSD, MDD and comorbid PTSD and MDD. Since the patients with comorbid MDD and PTSD (PTSD–MDD) are sicker, we hypothesize a poorer response to treatment compared to patients with MDD only. Ninety-six MDD patients were included in the study: 76 with MDD only and 20 with PTSD–MDD. Demographic and clinical parameters at baseline were assessed. We examined clinical parameters before and after 3months of open SSRI treatment in subjects with PTSD–MDD and compared this group to individuals with MDD only. At baseline, PTSD–MDD patients had higher Hamilton Depression Rating Scale and Buss–Durkee Hostility Scale scores compared with MDD only subjects. There was a significant decrease in scores on the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, Beck Depression Inventory, Beck Hopelessness Scale, and Beck Scale for Suicidal Ideation after 3months of treatment with SSRIs in both groups. The magnitude of improvement in Beck Scale for Suicidal Ideation scores was greater in the PTSD–MDD group compared to the MDD only subjects. Symptoms of depression including suicidal ideation improved in MDD patients with or without comorbid PTSD after 3months of treatment with SSRIs but improvement in suicidal ideation was greater in the PTSD–MDD group. Our finding has not supported the hypothesis that a response to treatment is poorer in the PTSD–MDD group which may indicate that sicker patients benefit more from the treatment.

Correlates of Age at Initial Diagnosis of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia: Exercise, ASA &amp;amp; Emotional Distress

Objective: No studies of either the cross-sectional or prospective association of behavioral lifestyle characteristics and the onset of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) exist. Methods: Multiple interview or questionnaire measures of emotional distress and social support, as well as personality characteristics, exercise, sleep quality, aspirin or lipid-lowering medication use, smoking status and history, educational history and farming/pesticide exposure were tested as correlates of age at initial diagnosis of CLL (AAID-CLL) in 183 patients recruited from the electronic records of Henry Ford Hospital or internet support sites. Results: Aspirin use, having always been “Fit” and living alone were positively associated with AAID. Negative associations were observed for farming/pesticide exposure, years of education, being married, self description as a “Lone Wolf” or “Worrier”, taking “nerve” or “sleeping” pills, awakenings per night, Packyears of Smoking and the Interpersonal Sensitivity, Depression, Anxiety, Hostility and Paranoia scales of the Symptom Checklist 90 - Revised, as well as the AIAI (anger), Depression and Anxiety scales of the Spouse/Friend Ketterer Stress Symptom Frequency Checklist. Conclusions: Aspirin use and exercise may exert a modifiable delaying influence in the onset of CLL. Conversely, emotional distress and smoking may hasten its onset. Prospective, and interventional, tests of these findings are needed.

Do Depressive Traits and Hostility Predict Age-Related Decline in General Intelligence?

Certain personality traits are likely to be associated with stress and distress through the lifespan, and as a consequence these traits may influence the rate of age-related cognitive decline. The present study uses data from the Glostrup 1914 cohort to analyze potential effects of personality on decline in general intelligence over a 30-year period. The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory was administered at a 50-year baseline exam, and from this inventory the Obvious Depression Scale and an abbreviated version of the Cook-Medley Hostility Scale were derived. At the 50-year baseline and at the 60-, 70-, and 80-year followups the full version of Wechsler's Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) was administered to 673, 513, 136, and 184 participants. Mixed effects statistical models were used to evaluate both the effect of the personality scores on level of intelligence and the interaction between the personality scores and the time since followup. Analyses were adjusted for demographic background and a wide range of lifestyle factors. Both obvious depression and hostility were negatively associated with level of intelligence, but personality scores did not influence rate of decline in general intelligence.

Personality Characteristics, Locus of Control and Hostility among Alcoholics and Non-Alcoholics

The present investigation has been undertaken with a view to investigate the personality characteristics, locus ofcontrol and hostility among alcoholics and non-alcoholics. The sample consists of 100 alcoholics and 100non-alcoholics in the age range of 18-30 years. The measures used for this study are Sixteen Personality FactorQuestionnaire, Levenson’s Locus of control and Covert and Overt Hostility Scale. The results are discussed interms of comparison of means and discriminant analysis. The result clearly reveals that significant differenceswere found on personality characteristics, locus of control and hostility between alcoholics and non-alcoholics.

Development of the Adult Scale of Hostility and Aggression: Reactive–Proactive (A-SHARP)

In this study, the authors developed the Adult Scale of Hostility and Aggression Reactive-Proactive (A-SHARP). Sixty-one caregivers rated 512 individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities on the A-SHARP. Exploratory factor analysis revealed 5 factors on the Problem Scale: (a) Verbal Aggression, (b) Physical Aggression, (c) Hostile Affect, (d) Covert Aggression, and (e) Bullying. Internal consistency was high, and intercorrelation of subscales suggested logical convergent and divergent validity. Separate scores were also derived for the Provocation Scale, which was developed to reflect motivation for the aggression (reactive vs. proactive). Analyses of demographic variables revealed 1 gender effect, several effects due to age and functional level, and no effect of ethnicity. Normative data are provided for the Problem Scale.

Utility of the Millon Behavioral Medicine Diagnostic to Predict Medication Adherence in Patients Diagnosed with Heart Failure

Medication non-adherence is common and a primary reason for poor medical outcomes among individuals with heart failure (HF). This study's aims were to determine whether depression, hostility, and the personality-based Millon Behavioral Medicine Diagnostic (MBMD) Medication Abuse scale were associated with medication adherence (e.g., beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors, diuretics, statins) beyond contributions of demographic, medical, and psychosocial variables in an ethnically-diverse sample of 105 men and women diagnosed with HF. In hierarchical regression, greater MBMD Medication Abuse scale scores were associated with poorer adherence above and beyond both depression (β=.236, t[102]=2.113, p=.037) and hostility (β=.244, t[102]=2.506, p=.014). The Medication Abuse scale also completely mediated the relationship between adherence and depression. These findings suggest that personality measures such as the MBMD and hostility scales might be utilized in future studies investigating predictors of adherence and also used clinically to predict medication adherence among HF patients.

Relation between Quality of Image of God with Hostility and Interpersonal Sensitivity in Parents of Exceptional Children

Since parents of exceptional children are exposed to the variety of child raising stressors that impact their psychological functioning, determining factors associated with psychological health of these individuals is an important research endeavour. The aim of the current research was to investigate the relationship between image of God with hostility and interpersonal sensitivity in parents of exceptional children. To accomplish the stated goal 168 parents of exceptional children were selected by means of proportional sampling procedure. The Image of God Inventory (IOG, Lawrence, 1997) and Scales of Hostility and Interpersonal Sensitivity in Symptom Checklist90-R (SCL-90R, Deragotis et al., 1973) were administered on them. Analysis of data revealed that the magnitude of hostility and interpersonal sensitivity can be predicted from the quality of images of God in parents of exceptional children. Moreover, data revealed that parents of exceptional children who had positive image of God were lower in hostility and interpersonal sensitivity than parents of exceptional children who had a negative image of God. Authors concluded that positive image of God were associated with lower hostility and interpersonal sensitivity in parents of exceptional children. Theoretical implication and practical application of the finding are discussed in the original paper.

Relation Among Quality of Attachment, Hostility and Interpersonal Sensitivity in College Students

The aim of the current research was to investigate the relationship between quality of attachment with hostility and interpersonal Sensitivity in Tehran and Iran Medical Sciences Universities. To accomplish the stated goal 467 students from Tehran and Iran Medical Sciences Universities were selected by means of proportional sampling procedure. The Revised Adult Attachment Scale (Collins, 1996) and Scales of Hostility and Interpersonal Sensitivity in Symptom Checklist90-Revised (Derogatis et al., 1973) were administered on them. Analysis of data using a multiple regression analysis revealed that the magnitude of hostility and interpersonal sensitivity can be predicted from the quality of student's attachment. Moreover, data revealed that students who had an anxious attachment were higher in hostility and interpersonal sensitivity than students who had a close attachment (being comfortable with intimacy) and depend attachment (dependability of others). Authors concluded that close and depend attachment were associated with lower hostility and interpersonal sensitivity in college students who were studying in Medical Sciences Universities.

A prospective study on personality and the cortisol awakening response to predict posttraumatic stress symptoms in response to military deployment

Few prospective studies on pre-trauma predictors for subsequent development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have been conducted. In this study we prospectively investigated whether pre-deployment personality and the cortisol awakening response (CAR) predicted development of PTSD symptoms in response to military deployment. Furthermore, we hypothesized that potential effects of age, childhood trauma and previous deployment on development of PTSD symptoms were mediated via pre-deployment personality, CAR and PTSD symptoms.Path analysis was performed on data from 470 male soldiers collected before and six months after a 4-month deployment to Afghanistan. Before deployment, personality was assessed with the short-form Temperament-Character Inventory and the Cook-Medley Hostility scale. In addition, pre-deployment saliva sampling for assessment of the CAR was performed immediately after awakening and 15, 30 and 60min thereafter.Pre-deployment high hostility and low self-directedness represented intrinsic vulnerabilities for development of PTSD symptoms after deployment. The CAR assessed before deployment did not predict PTSD symptoms after deployment. Pre-deployment low-to-moderate PTSD symptoms were associated with PTSD symptoms after deployment. As hypothesized, the effects of age and childhood trauma on PTSD symptoms after deployment were mediated via personality and pre-deployment PTSD symptoms. However, the number of previous deployments was not related to development of PTSD symptoms. The total model explained 24% of variance in PTSD symptoms after military deployment.

Ethnic and Gender Differences in the Relationship Between Hostility and Metabolic and Autonomic Risk Factors for Coronary Heart Disease

To examine the relationship between hostility and biological risk factors for coronary heart disease (CHD) in a population of white European and South Asian men and women living in the United Kingdom. This cross-sectional study involved a community-based sample of 1,757 healthy white and South Asian men and women aged between 35 years and 75 years from West London. Participants completed the Cook-Medley Hostility Scale, together with measures of standard biological risk factors and heart rate variability. Associations between hostility and CHD risk factors were evaluated, controlling for age, education, smoking, physical activity, body mass index, and waist/hip ratio, using regression models. In white men, hostility was associated positively with fasting glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin, and negatively with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. High levels of hostility were also related to increased prevalence of diabetes and the metabolic syndrome in white men. Hostility in South Asian men was associated with impaired autonomic function. Hostility was not related to any biological CHD risk factors in South Asian or white women. Our results showed that hostility was independently associated with glucose metabolism and dyslipidemia in white men, and with autonomic dysfunction in South Asian men. Hostility was found not to be relevant for measured CHD risk factors in females. Longitudinal data are required to establish whether the impact of hostility on CHD risk in men is mediated through metabolic and autonomic processes.

The latent structure of childhood aggression: A taxometric analysis of self-reported and teacher-rated aggression in Israeli schoolchildren.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the latent structure of childhood aggression, like the latent structure of adult antisocial behavior, is dimensional. One thousand and five Israeli schoolchildren completed a translation of the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire (AQ; Buss & Perry, 1992) and were rated by their homeroom teachers on the Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory (ECBI; Robinson, Eyberg, & Ross, 1980). The AQ Physical Aggression and Verbal Aggression scales were combined to form the 1st indicator, the AQ Anger and Hostility scales were combined to form the 2nd indicator, the 10-item ECBI Oppositional Defiant Behavior Toward Adults scale composed the 3rd indicator, and the 8-item ECBI Conduct Problem Behavior scale composed the 4th indicator. Subjecting these indicators to taxometric analysis revealed consistent support for dimensional latent structure in the full sample as well as in 5 of the 6 subsamples. Childhood aggression, it would seem, differs quantitatively along a dimension (degree of aggression) rather than bifurcating into qualitatively distinct categories (aggressive vs. nonaggressive).

Cardiovascular and Psychological Reactivity and Recovery from Harassment in a Biracial Sample of High and Low Hostile Men and Women

This study emphasizes the importance of studying the emotional, motivational, and cognitive characteristics accompanying and the potential hemodynamic mechanisms underlying cardiovascular reactivity to and recovery from interpersonal conflict. The relation of dispositional hostility to cardiovascular reactivity during a frustrating anagram task and post-task recovery was investigated. The sample was composed of 99 healthy participants (age, 18-30years; 53% women; 51% Caucasian; 49% African American)-half randomly assigned to a harassment condition. High and low hostility groups were created by a median split specific to sex and race subgroup score distributions on the Cook-Medley Hostility Scale. It was hypothesized that hostility would interact with harassment such that harassed, high hostile individuals would display the greatest cardiovascular and emotional reactivity and slowest recovery of the four groups. Participants completed a 10-min baseline, a 6-min anagram task, and a 5-min recovery period with blood pressure, heart rate, pre-ejection period, stroke index, cardiac index, and total peripheral resistance index measured. Harassed participants displayed significantly greater cardiovascular responses and lower positive affect to the task and slower systolic blood pressure (SBP) recovery than did nonharassed participants. The high hostile group, irrespective of harassment, showed blunted cardiovascular responses during the task and delayed SBP recovery than the low hostile group. Although the predicted interaction between hostility and harassment was not supported in the context of cardiovascular responses, such an interaction was observed in the context of blame attributions, whereby harassed hostile participants were found to blame others for their task performance than the other subgroups.