Physiological Pathways from Personality to Health: the Cardiovascular and Immune Systems

Segerstrom, Suzanne C.; Smith, Timothy W.

doi:10.1002/9780470713860.ch8

Cited by 6 publications

(8 citation statements)

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“…Two important mechanisms have been suggested that may be involved in the relationship between perfectionism and health. First, perfectionism may influence health via a stress pathway in which personality variables may affect both the exposure to and reactivity to stress (Segerstrom and Smith, 2006). According to Flett and Hewitt (2002), perfectionism is likely to be involved in the generation, anticipation, perpetuation and enhancement of stress.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The relationship between perfectionism and engagement in preventive health behaviours: The mediating role of self-concealment

Williams

Cropley

2013

J Health Psychol

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If perfectionists avoid engaging in preventive health behaviours they may be putting their long-term health and wellbeing at risk. Correlational analyses based on a sample of 370 university students identified maladaptive perfectionism to be associated with decreased levels of; engagement in preventive health behaviours, life satisfaction and wellbeing and increased levels of self-concealment and psychological distress. Adaptive perfectionism was associated with higher levels of engagement in preventive health behaviours. Selfconcealment was identified as a partial mediator in the relationship between maladaptive perfectionism and both engagement in preventive health behaviours and psychological distress. Implications of the findings are discussed.Keywords: Maladaptive and adaptive perfectionism, preventive health behaviours, self-concealment. Running head: PERFECTIONISM, ENGAGEMENT IN PREVENTIVE HEALTH BEHAVIOURS AND SELF-CONCEALMENTPage | 3 IntroductionA striking increase in research concerned with perfectionism coupled with the development of two multidimensional methods of assessment (Frost et al, 1990;Hewitt and Flett, 1991a) has greatly enhanced our understanding of the perfectionism construct, however there still remains a lack of consensus regarding how to define and conceptualise this particular personality trait. Many authors have investigated and supported a two factor model, encompassing positive/adaptive/healthy elements as well as negative/maladaptive/unhealthy ones (e.g. Adkins and Parker, 1996;Blankstein and Dunkley, 2002; Enns and Cox, 1999; Frost et al., 1993;Hill et al., 1997;Rheaume et al., 2000;Terry-Short et al., 1995;Rice et al., 1998;Slade, 1982;Slade and Owens, 1998;Slaney et al., 2002;Stumpf and Parker, 2000).Adaptive perfectionism, believed to be driven by a desire for success (Hamachek, 1978) has been characterised by a high level of organisation, high personal standards, conscientiousness and a desire to achieve personal goals (Slade and Owens, 1998). Adaptive perfectionists (when compared to maladaptive perfectionists) are believed to ruminate less, be less susceptibility to negative affectivity and engage in fewer self-critical evaluations in appraisal situations (Beiling et al., 2004; Enns et al., 2001;Rheaume et al., 2000). A crucial difference between the two types of perfectionists, according to Hamachek (1978) is the fact that although they may set themselves extraordinarily high standards, adaptive perfectionists are flexible enough to allow for occasional mistakes and ultimately derive a real sense of satisfaction from their efforts. Conversely, maladaptive perfectionism is believed to be driven by an intense fear of failure (Hamachek, 1978) and has been associated with negative psychological functioning (Blatt, 1995; Chang, 2003; Flett and Hewitt, 2002;Shafran and Mansell, 2001). Maladaptive perfectionism has also been linked with the desire to conceal Running head: PERFECTIONISM, ENGAGEMENT IN PREVENTIVE HEALTH BEHAVIOURS AND SELF-CONCEALMENT Page | 4 negative in...

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Firstly perfectionism may influence health via a stress pathway in which personality variables may affect both the exposure to and reactivity to stress (Segerstrom and Smith, 2006).…”

Section: Running Head: Perfectionism Engagement In Preventive Healthmentioning

confidence: 99%

The relationship between perfectionism and engagement in preventive health behaviours: The mediating role of self-concealment

Williams

Cropley

2013

J Health Psychol

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“…A prominent, general model implicates excessive and repeated activation of the sympathetic adrenomedullary (SAM) system and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis, central components of the physiological stress response, as a mechanism linking personality and health (Segerstrom & Smith, 2006). Such studies often focus on cortisol responses (a hormone indicative of HPA axis activation), cardiovascular reactivity (i.e., increases in heart rate and blood pressure), inflammation and other immune system responses, and other neuroendocrine responses.…”

Section: Stress Reactivitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Anger, hostility, and depression predict stressrelated increases in SAM and HPA system activation (Segerstrom & Smith, 2006). Hostility, in particular, is related to cardiovascular reactivity to laboratory stressors, although the effects may be particular to interpersonal stress (Smith et al, 2004).…”

Section: Stress Reactivitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Personality and physical health.

Smith¹,

Williams²,

Segerstrom³

2015

APA Handbook of Personality and Social Psychology, Volume 4: Personality Processes and Individual Differences.

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Evidence that personality characteristics predict important physical health outcomes has contributed to a resurgence in personality science over the past several decades (Roberts, Kuncel, Shiner, Caspi, & Goldberg, 2007;Smith & MacKenzie, 2006). Replicated, rigorous studies in which personality traits and processes predict longevity, the development of serious illnesses, and survival among the medically ill have gone far in addressing prior criticisms that personality concepts and measures have limited utility (cf. Mischel, 1968). Yet, much of this research has important limitations, and key questions remain unanswered.Specifically, associations of individual, separately considered personality traits with health outcomes are an important type of evidence, but such studies ignore the likely overlapping effects of seemingly distinct personality characteristics as well as the aggregation of risk factors that involve personality with those that reflect the social environment. Given the reciprocal associations between personality and social life (e.g., Caspi, Roberts, & Shiner, 2005; M. L. Cooper, 2002), effects of personality on health likely are intertwined with aspects of personal relationships and social environments known to influence health (e.g., Holt-Lunstad, Smith, & Layton, 2010). Hence, a more integrative view of personality as a central component of more broadly defined psychosocial risk is needed. Research also must identify mechanisms underlying such associations, to better guide risk-reducing interventions. There is inherent value in answering age-old questions about personality and health, but there is even greater value in the level of mature science that could support successful efforts to prevent disease and improve health. CONCEPTUAL AND METHODOLOGICAL CONCERNSSeveral key conceptual and methodological issues provide both a general framework for evaluating current evidence regarding the association of personality with subsequent health and an outline of areas of needed research. In each of these issues, clear conceptual models are an essential guide in measurement, design, and analysis. Conceptualizing and Measuring HealthMany studies examine straightforward outcomes, such as longevity and the onset of specific diseases (e.g., cancer, diabetes) quantified through wellestablished criteria. Associations of personality characteristics with such objective outcomes provide essential evidence in this field, but less objective outcomes often are examined. Widely studied subjective or behavioral outcomes include self-rated health (e.g., physical symptom reports), functional activity levels, and health care utilization. These outcomes predict longevity (Idler & Benyamini, 1997) and are key aspects of comprehensive models of health (Ryff & Singer, 1998). Given current concerns with health care expenditures, utilization of medical services has obvious practical importance.Although important, subjective and behavioral health indicators should not be interpreted as

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“…The occurrence of emotional distress and arousal may mediate some of the associations observed between personality variables and health outcomes (Segerstrom and Smith, 2006). This paper presents three studies testing the hypothesis that individual differences in selfregulation, specifically in perceived success versus failure in personal goal pursuit, can affect the occurrences of colds and flu and the underlying immunobiology.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Individual differences in self-regulatory failure and menstrual dysfunction predict upper respiratory infection symptoms and antibody response to flu immunization

Strauman

Coe

McCrudden

et al. 2008

Brain, Behavior, and Immunity

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Prior research indicates that cognitive priming manipulations that activate personal goals acutely increase or decrease natural killer cell cytotoxicity depending on whether individuals see themselves as making or failing to make progress toward their goals. Those findings in a laboratory setting revealed a psychobiological pathway whereby experiences of failure can influence health, but did not assess the impact of chronic perceived success/failure in goal pursuit on actual health outcomes. Three new studies investigated whether individual differences in perceived failure to attain personal goals influenced the self-reported symptoms of upper respiratory infections (URIs) as well as antibody response to flu immunization. Based on pilot data in young women, it also was hypothesized that the occurrence of menstrual dysfunction might interact with goal pursuit failure to more specifically predict cold and flu symptoms and optimal responses to vaccination. Perceived failure to attain goals did predict the reporting of URI symptoms as well as antibody levels postimmunization, both alone and in combination with menstrual dysfunction.

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Physiological Pathways from Personality to Health: the Cardiovascular and Immune Systems

Cited by 6 publications

References 119 publications

The relationship between perfectionism and engagement in preventive health behaviours: The mediating role of self-concealment

The relationship between perfectionism and engagement in preventive health behaviours: The mediating role of self-concealment

Personality and physical health.

Individual differences in self-regulatory failure and menstrual dysfunction predict upper respiratory infection symptoms and antibody response to flu immunization

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