Stress-Prone and
Stress-Resistant Personalities
Chapter 6
“When I was 25, I got testicular cancer and
nearly died. I don’t know why I am still alive. I
can only guess. I have a tough constitution and
my profession taught me how to compete
against long odds and big obstacles.”
—Lance Armstrong
Personality
• Personality is thought to comprise
several:
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traits
characteristics
behaviors
expressions
moods
feelings as perceived by others
Personality
(continued)
• The complexity of one’s personality is
thought to be shaped by:
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genetic factors
family dynamics
social influences
personal experiences
Personality and Stress
• How we deal with stress is due in large part to
our personalities, yet regardless of
personality, we each exhibit many inner
resources to use in the face of stress.
• New behaviors can be learned and adopted
to aid in this coping process.
• We do not have to be passive victims to
stress.
Stress-Prone Personalities
These personalities do not cope with
stress well:
– Type A personality
– Codependent personality
– Helpless-hopeless personality
Type A Behavior
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Time urgency
Polyphasia (multitasking)
Ultra-competitiveness
Rapid speech patterns
Manipulative control
Hyperaggressiveness and free-floating
hostility
Codependent Personality
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Ardent approval seekers
Perfectionists
Super-overachievers
Crisis managers
Devoted loyalists
Self-sacrificing martyrs
Manipulators
“Victims”
Feelings of inadequacy
Reactionaries
Helpless-Hopeless Personality
• Poor self-motivation
• Cognitive distortion where perception of
failure repeatedly eclipses prospects of
success
• Emotional dysfunction
• External locus of control of reinforcing
behavior
Stress-Resistant Personalities
These personalities cope with stress well:
1. Hardy Personality
2. Survivor Personality
3. Type R Personality (Sensation Seekers)
The Hardy Personality
• Based on the work of Maddi and Kobasa
• Three characteristics noted in those who
cope well with stress:
– Commitment (invests oneself in the
solution)
– Control (takes control of a situation,
doesn’t run from it)
– Challenge (sees opportunity rather than
the problems)
Survivor Personality Traits
• A person who responds rather than
reacts to danger/stress
• Bi-phase traits (left and right brain skills)
– Proud but humble
– Selfish but altruistic
– Rebellious but cooperative
– Spiritual but irreverent
– Considered optimists and good at creative
problem solving
Type “R” Personality
(Sensation Seekers)
• Zuckerman (1971) identified the
sensation-seeking personality as those
people who seek thrills and sensations
but take calculated risks in their
endeavors; they appear to be
dominated by an adventurous spirit.
Self-Esteem:
The Bottom-Line Defense
• Practices of high self-esteem:
– Focus on action
– Living consciously
– Self-acceptance
– Self-responsibility
– Self-assertiveness
– Living purposefully
Characteristics of High Self-Esteem
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Connectedness (support groups)
Uniqueness (special qualities)
Empowerment (uses inner resources)
Role models or mentors (has others to
look up to)
• Calculated risk taking (not motivated by
fear)
Study Guide Questions
1. List the stress-prone personalities and
give an example of each.
2. List the stress-resistant personalities
and give an example of each.
3. Describe self-esteem and what role
this plays in promoting and resolving
stress.