Personality and physiological reactions to acute psychological stress in a large cohort of middle aged men and women Adam Bibbey, BSc 1 Douglas Carroll 1, Tessa J. Roseboom 2, Anna C. Phillips 1, Susanne R. de Rooij 2 1 University of Birmingham, United Kingdom 2 University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Background Stable personality traits: - biological substrates - affect stress perception Previous evidence inconclusive This may reflect a range of methodological problems: small sample sizes predominance of young student samples restricted range of trait scores dichotomized trait variables failure to adjust statistically for a range of possible confounding variables
Present Aims Revisit the issue of personality and biological stress reactivity in a substantial cohort who had undergone stress testing and in whom personality traits were measured using the Big Five Inventory. Sample size and age Subjective ratings of stress Cortisol and cardiovascular measures Control confounders
Big Five Trait Taxonomy 1) Neuroticism: tendency toward negative affectivity and an inclination toward impulsive behavior. 2) Agreeableness: willingness to be helpful and trusting, and to possess a pro-social orientation. 3) Openness : imaginative, creative, attentive to inner feelings, prefer variety, and are flexible in their thinking 4) Extraversion : energetic, sociable, and assertive. 5) Conscientiousness : organization, self-discipline, and determination. (McCrae and Costa, 1987)
Methods Dutch Famine Birth Cohort Study Overarching aim: Examine effects of intrauterine famine exposure in the winter of 1944-45 on health in later adulthood. 2002-04 Stress testing N = 725 2008-09 Big Five Inventory N = 601 Combined sample N = 389 Removal of participants exposed to famine in early gestation N=37 Final sample N= 352
Characteristics of final sample M/N SD/% Age (years) 58.23 0.95 Sex (female) 190 52.5 Socio-economic status (ISEI-92) 51.29 13.64 Body mass index (kg/m 2 ) 28.76 4.90 Alcohol (units of per week) 9.83 15.01 Current smoker 74 20.5 Anti-hypertensive medication 96 26.5 Anti-depressant or anxiolytic 45 12.4
Stress Testing Protocol de Rooij et al, 2006
Results Stress significantly perturbed biological activity 7.0 84 Salivary cortisol (nmol/l) 6.5 6.0 5.5 5.0 4.5 Heart rate (bpm) 82 80 78 76 74 72 Systolic blood pressure (mmhg) 4.0 170 160 150 140 130 120 70 Baseline Average post task Baseline Average task F (1,266) = 41.64, p <.001, η 2 =.135 F (1,350) = 110.56, p <.001, η Time 2 =.240 82 Baseline Average task Baseline Average task Time Time F (1,351) = 1302.48, p <.001, η 2 =.788 F (1,351) = 314.62, p <.001, η 2 =.473 Diastolic blood pressure (mmhg) 80 78 76 74 72 70 68 66 64
Personality and cortisol Regression models for neuroticism, agreeableness, openness and cortisol reactivity Neuroticism and cortisol reactivity β t p R 2 Unadjusted Model -.19 3.20.002.035 Adjusted 1 -.14 2.30.02.018 Adjusted 2 -.14 2.27.02.016 Agreeableness and cortisol reactivity Unadjusted Model.15 2.49.01.021 Adjusted 1.16 2.75.006.025 Adjusted 2.16 2.73.007.023 Openness and cortisol reactivity Unadjusted Model.19 3.31.001.037 Adjusted 1.15 2.51.01.021 Adjusted 2.13 2.21.03.015 Adjusted 1: sex, age, SES Adjusted 2: alcohol consumption, smoking, BMI, use of anti -hypertensive medication, use of anti-depressant or anxiolytic medication, perceived commitment to the stress task, and baseline cortisol.
Individuals high on neuroticism, and low on agreeableness and openness demonstrated blunted cortisol responses
Personality and heart rate Regression models for neuroticism, agreeableness, openness and heart rate reactivity Neuroticism and heart rate reactivity β t p R 2 Unadjusted Model -.20 3.89 <.001.042 Adjusted 1 -.19 3.55 <.001.034 Adjusted 2 -.15 2.65.008.019 Agreeableness and heart rate reactivity Unadjusted Model.12 2.21.03.014 Adjusted 1.12 2.15.03.013 Adjusted 2.11 2.05.04.012 Openness and heart rate reactivity Unadjusted Model.17 3.15.002.028 Adjusted 1.14 2.63.01.020 Adjusted 2.11 2.00.05.011 Adjusted 1: sex, age, SES Adjusted 2: alcohol consumption, smoking, BMI, use of anti -hypertensive medication, use of anti-depressant or anxiolytic medication, perceived commitment to the stress task, and baseline heart rate
Individuals high on neuroticism, and low on agreeableness and openness also had blunted heart rate responses
Personality and blood pressure Regression models for neuroticism, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure β t p R 2 Neuroticism and SBP reactivity Unadjusted Model -.20 3.89 <.001.042 Adjusted 1 -.19 3.55 <.001.034 Adjusted 2 -.15 2.65.008.019 Neuroticism and DBP reactivity Unadjusted Model -.12 2.21.03.014 Adjusted 1 -.12 2.15.03.013 Adjusted 2 -.11 2.05.04.012 SBP= systolic blood pressure, DBP= diastolic blood pressure Adjusted 1: sex, age, SES Adjusted 2: alcohol consumption, smoking, BMI, use of anti -hypertensive medication, use of antidepressant or anxiolytic medication, perceived commitment to the stress task, and baseline SBP/DBP
Individuals high on neuroticism demonstrated blunted blood pressure reactivity
Personality and stress task ratings In contrast, high neuroticism and low openness were associated with higher reported stress, and lower reported control following exposure to stress tasks Self-report task ratings Stressfulness Control r p r p Neuroticism.27 <.001 -.30 <.001 Openness -.14.01.25 <.001
Results Overview Cortisol + HR reactivity Neuroticism Agreeableness Openness SBP + DBP reactivity Neuroticism Self reported stressfulness Self reported control Neuroticism Openness
Discussion Negative constellation of personality traits associated with diminished stress reactions of both of the HPA axis and cardiovascular system. Blunted Stress Reactivity Carroll et al, 2011 Lovallo, 2011 Worth noting that the adverse health and behavioural corollaries identified with blunted reactivity are also for the most part, associated with this negative personality profile and, in particular, neuroticism. Depression- Bienvenu et al, 2004: Obesity- Sutin et al, 2011: Addiction- Terraccino et al, 2008: Disordered eating- Bamber et al, 2000
Hypothesis: peripheral marker of dysregulation in the brain systems that support emotion and motivation. Paradox: Self-report and biological responses Neuroticism: Repeated adverse perceptions Chronic stress Allostasis Openness: Emotional suppression Task variety preference Suggest drivers of subjective stress reactions are different from those that drive physiological stress reactivity.
University of Birmingham Prof. Doug Carroll Dr Anna Phillips Acknowledgements University of Amsterdam Prof. Tessa Roseboom Dr Susanne de Rooij Funding
Thank you for listening Adam Bibbey ESRC-funded Doctoral Researcher University of Birmingham Tel: +44 (0) 121 415 8785 Email: axb790@bham.ac.uk
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