The effects of Neuroticism and Extraversion on cardiovascular reactivity during a mental and an emotional stress task

Abstract

Evidence suggests that physiological reactivity to mental and emotional stress may be influenced by personality traits. Objectives: This study aimed to examine the relationship between, emotionally based personality traits, Neuroticism (N) and Extraversion (E), and cardiovascular reactivity (CVR) during mental arithmetic (MA) and anger recall (AR). Methods: Heart rate, blood pressure, cardiac output and total peripheral resistance were measured in 114 Singaporean male patrol officers from the Singapore Police Force while they performed MA and AR tasks. N and E were assessed using the NEO PI-R. Results: Higher N was associated with lower DBP and TPRI reactivity during MA as compared to lower N, but higher TPRI reactivity during AR. Lower E scores were associated with heightened CVR while higher E scores were associated with lower CVR. For SBP and HR, E was associated with a reduction in reactivity across tasks; whereas, for DBP and TPRI this reduction was found only during AR. Conclusion: In this population, N had differential effects on CVR depending upon the nature of the stress task, cognitive or emotional. However, higher E was consistently linked to lower CVR during stress tasks and appeared to influence how individuals express and cope with anger. © 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.