ORCID

http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8419-9771

Date of Award

2020

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

MA in Psychology

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

William Chaplin

Abstract

he relationship between personality and blood pressure (BP) was examined under two conditions. Six hundred and sixty-six participants were selected from the original HOT study data set and asked to complete the Big Five Inventory, Cook Medley Hostility Scale, and the Positive and Negative Affect Scale. The two conditions were enrollment blood pressure, when the treatment of BP was unrestricted and qualifying blood pressure, when treatment of BP was restricted. Results revealed that conscientiousness had a strong relation to blood pressure in both conditions but had a stronger relation to blood pressure in the unrestricted condition. Hostility and negative affect showed a strong relation to blood pressure for both enrollment and qualifying blood pressure but had a stronger relation to blood pressure in the restricted condition. The relation of Conscientiousness to blood pressure was also mediated by participants’ antihypertension medication status. The results suggest that Conscientiousness operates on blood pressure through constructive behavior (medication adherence), whereas Hostility and Negative Affect may operate as maladaptive emotions that exacerbate the causes of BP.

Included in

Psychology Commons

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