Personality factors and
stress
Stress
Biological Psychology
Personality factors
and stress
Research has suggested that personality
can play a role in determining how well
individuals cope with stress and how likely
they are to suffer from stress-related illness.
Personality
 A set of characteristics, behaviours, and
attitudes that remain relatively stable over time
and distinguish one individual from another.
 It is that fundamental ‘thing’ that makes us who
we are and makes us different to everybody
else – ‘unique.’
 However there are some ‘personality traits’ that
we share with those around us.
Research
 More vulnerable to stress 
 More resistant to stress 
• Type A & Type B personality
• The ‘Hardy’ personality
Type A and Type B
personality
Type A behaviour – characterised by constant
time pressure, competitiveness in work and
social situations, and anger 
Type B behaviour – characterised by an easygoing, relaxed and patient approach to life 
The Type A personality
The Type B personality
Very competitive
Less competitive
Highly motivated to achieve
Equally ambitious but not
dominated by ambition
Relaxed
Restless and hyper-alert
Constantly feels under time pressure Makes time for socialising
Angry
Not easily angered
Impatient, hostile and cynical
Easy-going, forgiving and
understanding.
Friedman and Rosenman
(1959)
Type A individuals possess 3 major
characteristics.
1. Competitiveness and achievement striving
2. Impatience and time urgency
3. Hostility and aggressiveness
Friedman and Rosenman
 These 3 characteristics lead to increased BP and
raised levels of stress hormones (e.g. cortisol).
 Activation of stress pathways in body.
 Linked to illness, particularly CVDs like CHD.
 CHD – narrowing of the coronary arteries.
 An increase in HR may wear away the lining of the
blood vessels.
 Stress also leads to increased glucose levels,
leading to clumps blocking the blood vessels.
Type A
Competitive
Time
urgent
Impatient
Hostile and
aggressive
Type B
Relaxed
One thing
at a time
Patient
Easy-going
Independent task
1. Read the key study by Friedman and
Rosenman (1974) and identify the
APFCC of the study.
2. Identify at least three A02 evaluation
points for this study.
You have 12 minutes.
Strengths 
Longitudinal study – can observe LT effects in the
same PTs over a long period of time.
Structured interview – can be easily repeated as
questions are standardised, requires less interviewing
skills.
Large sample size – generalisability of findings.
Influential study in triggering further research into link
between stress and illness.
Weaknesses 
Sample – male/age – gender/age bias – generalisability.
Western individualist culture - America – men
socialised to display Type A behaviour – ‘social norm’
Correlational evidence; difficult to establish cause and
effect. Could be personality combined with
social/environmental/genetic factors.
Weaknesses 
Division of participants into Type A/B – likely to be
differences in the extent to which a person meets the
criteria for being assigned to a particular personality
type e.g. someone might meet one criteria for Type A
and another might meet all criteria for Type A – is
that fair?
Which particular elements of Type A personality are
associated with vulnerability to CHD? Is it hostility?
Is it competitiveness? Or is it all traits combined?
Research evidence
SUPPORT: Myrtek (2001) - meta-analysis of 35
studies, found an association between hostility and CHD
(hostility is a trait associated with Type A personality).
Could be that hostility component of Type A is risk
factor for CHD, not Type A personality as a whole.
AGAINST: Ragland and Brand (1988) - found little
evidence of a relationship between Type A personality
and risk of developing CHD.
The Hardy personality
Kobasa and Maddi (1977)
Some people are more psychologically
‘hardy’ than others.
The hardy personality includes a range of
characteristics which provide defences
against the negative effects of stress.
Hardiness
Control – Hardy people see themselves as being in
control of their lives, not controlled by external factors
beyond their control i.e. fate.
Commitment- Hardy people are involved with the world
around them and have a strong sense of purpose and
direction.
Challenge- Hardy people see life challenges as problems
to be overcome rather than as threats or stressors. They
enjoy change as an opportunity for development.
Independent task
1. Read the key study on ‘Hardy Personality’ by
Kobasa (1979) in your booklet.
2. Answer the 5 questions about the study.
3. Draw a visual representation of this key study.
4. Identify 2 evaluation points.
Evaluation
 Correlational evidence.
 Questionnaires (SRRS and Hardy
Personality) – social desirability bias.
 Sample – all male, all middle-class
individuals – generalisability issues.
Evaluation of Hardy
Personality
 Some argue that the characteristics of the hardy
personality can be more simply explained in
terms of negative affectivity (a negative view of
self/world).
 High NA individuals report more distress and are
more likely to dwell on their failings.
 Hardiness and NA correlate suggesting that hardy
individuals are those that are low on NA!
Research evidence
Maddi et al (1987)
 Studied employees of a US company that was, over a
year, dramatically reducing the size of its workforce.
 2/3 employees suffered stress-related health problems
over this period, but the remaining 1/3 thrived.
 This ‘thriving’ group showed more evidence of
hardiness attributes (the 3 C’s).
Supporting evidence or against? Why?
Research evidence
Lifton et al (2006)
 Measured hardiness in students at 5 US universities
to see if hardiness was related to the likelihood of
them completing their degree.
 Low score in hardiness was correlated with a higher
drop-out rate.
 High score in hardiness was correlated with
completing a degree.
Supporting evidence or against? Why?
Problems with measurement
Alot of the research has relied upon data from selfreport techniques.
1. Social desirability bias – lie to look ‘good.’
2. Failure to understand question adequately.
3. Memory not 100% accurate – retrospective data.