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Objective. The underlying mechanisms for linking Type D personality to cardiovascular stress reactivity remain unknown. The present study explored the possible mediating role of cognitive appraisals of stress and/or motivational levels involved in stress in the association between Type D personality and cardiovascular stress reactivity.Design. Cross-sectional.Methods. Chinese version of Type D Scale-14 was administered to 154 undergraduate students who underwent psychosocial stress during which the physiological data were continuously monitored, and cognitive appraisals indexed by a ratio of perceived stress demands to perceived personal resources and motivational levels engaged in stress indexed by self-reported stress task engagement were immediately assessed after the stress exposure.Results. Results indicated that Type D personality was related to blunted HR, SBP, and DBP reactivity to stress. Self-reported stress task engagement mediated the relation between Type D personality and blunted cardiovascular stress reactivity. The mediation effect of cognitive appraisals on this link was non-significant.Conclusions. These findings suggest that motivational disengagement in the psychosocial stress task might be an important pathway linking Type D personality to blunted cardiovascular stress reactivity. Statement of contributionWhat is already known on this subject?Type D personality is a high-risk personality trait that leads to cardiovascular diseases. Exaggerated or blunted cardiovascular reactivity to stress is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.Type D personality is associated with exaggerated/blunted stress cardiovascular reactivity, which is one of the physiological pathways that leads to cardiovascular disease.

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