Hostility and the Disease Process

Previous studies have suggested that hostility may play a role in some disease processes, particularly heart disease and depression, and may contribute to morbidity and mortality. The current study will be undertaken to further examine the relationship between hostility and well-being, the hypothesis being that higher levels of hostility will cause lower levels of well-being, and higher levels of well-being will lower hostility levels. It is also hypothesized that those who score higher on the General Well-Being Scale will be in better health than those who score high on the Cook-Medley Hostility Scale.

A study by researchers at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina, asked 900 couples to complete a questionnaire which assessed depression and three aspects of hostility: cynicism, aggressive responses to problems, and negative feelings towards each other (Chipley, 2000). Both men and women in the study who rated themselves as highly hostile were depressed. Men who rated themselves as cynical were most likely to be depressed, unrelated to having a hostile wife whereas women whose husbands scored high on all three measures of hostility showed high rates of depression. According to the researchers, previous studies have shown that the quality of a relationship has a significant impact on a woman's well-being, whereas for a man, just having a relationship is the important thing. Women are more emotionally responsive, and t

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tive of a role for hostility in heart disease. Current Research Project The current research is being conducted to investigate how hostility and well-being are interrelated. It is hypothesized that: 1) a rise in hostility as measured by the Cook-Medley Hostility Scale will cause a drop in General Well-Being score as measured by the General Well-Being Scale; 2) A rise in General Well-Being score will lower a person's hostility on the Cook-Medley Hostility Scale; and 3) in general, people with high scores on the General Well-Being Scale will be in better health than people with high scores on the Cook-Medley Hostility Scale. These hypotheses are based on the results of prior research. Methods Subjects will be recruited from ads placed around campus. Participants must be 18 to 25 years old at the beginning of the study, and be willing to make themselves available for followup studies at five and 10 years post-baseline. Followup studies will be conducted after five and 10 years to monitor changes in hostility levels and well-being. Participants will be asked to complete the Cook-Medley Hostility Scale and the General Well-Being Scale at baseline, after five years and again after 10 years. The Cook-Medley Hostility Scale is

Category: Psychology - H