Cynical Hostility: A Risk Factor in HIV‐1 Infection?1

• Published in: Journal of applied social psychology 1991-04, Vol.21 (8), p.668-695
• Main Authors: Blaney, Nancy T., Morgan, Robert O., Feaster, Dan, Millon, Carrie, Szapocznik, Jose, Eisdorfer, Carl
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: HIV; Hostility; Human immunodeficiency virus; Infections
• ISSN: 0021-9029; 1559-1816
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1559-1816.1991.tb00542.x

The aims of this study of HIV‐1 positive and HIV‐1 negative gay males without disease were (a) to determine whether cynical hostility in these groups (measured by the Cook‐Medley Ho scale) is associated with psychosocial deficits that potentially could influence the course of HIV infection; and (b) to examine the construct validity of the sum of three Ho subsets in this sample. Correlational analyses on the full samples, and multivariate analyses of high‐ and low‐hostility groups (formed using Ho scale cutoffs from previous research), examined person variables (traits, coping style), environmental variables (social support, stressors), and affect. In all domains other than stressors (traits, coping styles, social support, and affect), cynical hostility was associated with psychosocial deficits, with results generally stronger for the full Ho scale than for the subset sum. Results support previous research on psychosocial deficits of the cynically hostile, extend findings to HIV‐infected gay males, and enlarge our understanding of the trait and coping style correlates of cynical hostility. Implications of these findings for HIV infection are discussed.