Inability to Predict Cardiovascular Disease From Hostility Scores or MMPI Items Related to Type A Behavior

• Published in: Journal of consulting and clinical psychology Vol. 56; no. 4; pp. 597 - 600
• Main Authors: Leon, Gloria R, Finn, Stephen E, Murray, David, Bailey, John M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Psychological Association 01-08-1988
• Subjects: Adult; Adult Attitudes; Biological and medical sciences; Cardiovascular disease; Cardiovascular Disorders; Coronary Disease - psychology; Coronary Prone Behavior; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Hostility; Human; Humans; Illness and personality; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Medical disorders; Medical research; Middle Aged; Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory; MMPI; Personality; Personality Traits; Prediction; Psychology; Psychology and medicine; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Psychometrics; Risk Factors; Social research; Type A Personality; Human; Personality test; Type A behavior; Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory; Prediction; Cardiovascular disease; Hostility; Psychometrics; Personality; Coronary heart disease
• ISSN: 0022-006X; 1939-2117
• DOI: 10.1037/0022-006X.56.4.597

Medical and psychological data collected for 30 years on a group of 280 men (mean age in 1947 = 45 years) were evaluated to identify the personality characteristics and attitudes that might be predictive of the later development of coronary heart disease (CHD). Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) Hostility scores did not predict CHD in this population. A 35-item scale derived from MMPI items judged to reflect the Type A construct and from other personality scales did not predict the later incidence of myocardial infarctions or other evidence of CHD. It is therefore possible that personality factors may not be strong predictors of CHD in particular samples.