Discuss research into the relationship between personality and stress.

that those with a Type A personality are more susceptible to Coronary Heart Disease (CHD)

and are generally a lot more stressed than Type B's. Evidence from 'Western Collaborative

Group Study' supports this idea, although subsequent research has not been as supportive.

Aspects of Type A personality including anger and hostility are the most important factors in

CHD. Type C personalities have also been linked to cancer, although there is no evidence to

suggest that this type of personality actually causes cancer.

Morris et al (1981) conducted a study of 50 women awaiting treatment for a breast

lump. Morris found that those women who were subsequently found to have a malignant lump

had reported that they both expressed far less anger than those women diagnosed with a

tumour. Morris noticed a link between cancer and suppression of anger, increased anger and

lowered immune system.

Another link between stress and personality has been suggested by Kobasa's concept

of the hardy personality. Kobasa (1979) argued that people differ considerably in their ability to

cope with stressors. Some people cope very well with stressful situations whilst others break

down under very little pressure. The term 'hardiness' describes a clutter of traits possessed by

people able to cope with stress. Three characteristics of 'hardy' types, identified by Kobasa

include: the ability to seek challenges and be in control of them, being in control of their lives and

commitment - those with a hardy' personality have more direction in life.

This view was supported by a large-scale study of highly stressed men who worked as

managers for a large company. Those individuals who had a high score on hardiness and who

also exercised a lot had the least illness. However, Funk (1992) criticised the model on the

grounds that hardiness is difficult to asses. The research has also be criticised because it has

relied on white, middle-class males as the main participants in this study. A further criticism is

that this was a correlational study - by using a correlational study with are automatically saying

that each factor has an effect on the other. We must not assume that hardiness is the casual

factor in health because people who are ill find it hard to be psychologically hardy. On the

positive side, the concept of hardiness has been used as a means of coping with stress.

Most studies would suggest that stress is generally detrimental to health, however some

people find stress stimulating and energising. Some people work better under stress and use

stressful energy in a positive way. This should be considered when conducting research into

stress and personality.