Extraversion and emotionality as proposed superordinate stress moderators: A prospective analysis

• Published in: Personality and individual differences 1994-05, Vol.16 (5), p.787-792
• Main Authors: Korotkov, David, Hannah, T.Edward
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Emotionality; Extraversion; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Moderators; Personality. Affectivity; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Stress
• ISSN: 0191-8869; 1873-3549
• DOI: 10.1016/0191-8869(94)90220-8

To help resolve a number of concerns in stress moderator research, a “Superordinate Stress Resource” model was tested. It was proposed that both extraversion and emotionality would serve as two superordinate variables, moderating the effects of daily stress on physical symptoms. Measures of stress, physical symptoms, extraversion, emotionality, sense of coherence, humour, optimism, and hardiness were administered twice to 510 participants over a 1 month interval. While the results failed to support the superordinate hypotheses for both extraversion and emotionality, main effects were found for sex of participant, prior symptoms, daily stress, emotionality, and humour. In addition, ex post facto analyses revealed a significant quadratic stress by sense of coherence interaction term suggesting that those with high scores on this personality construct tend to be protected from low, medium, and high levels of stress.