Psychosomatic Medicine 19:17-29 (1957)
© 1957 American Psychosomatic Society

Pain, Fear, and Anger in Hypertensives and Normotensives

A Psychophysiological Study

¹ New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, N. Y.

Physiological Specificity of Emotional Behavior

In acute fear 35 of the 48 subjects had a predominantly epinephrine-like response.

During the pain of the cold pressor test, 31 of the 47 subjects had a predominantly norepinephrine-like reaction.

In anger 19 showed a norepinephrine-like effect, 22 showed an epinephrine-like effect, and 7 had mixed effects. Different psychological intensities of anger tend to be associated with different physiological responses, though the differences are not statistically significant.

Physiological Characteristics of Emotional Behavior in Hypertensives

A group of 18 hypertensives showed on the average significantly greater rises in blood pressure during pain, fear, and anger than a group of 15 normotensives. Other investigators have reported similar findings, suggesting that these are reliable differences.

The variance of the blood pressure responses of the hypertensives exceeded that of the normotensives.

Face temperature during anger dropped less in hypertensives than in normotensives. There is no way of determining whether this is more than a chance finding.

Measures of peripheral resistance index, cardiac output index, stroke volume index (based upon cardioballistograph tracings) heart rate, hand temperature, psychogalvanic skin response, muscle potential, inspiratory index and respiratory rate failed to show significant differences between hypertensives and normotensives in pain, fear, or anger.

Psychological Characteristics of Emotional Behavior in Hypertensives

This particular group of 18 hypertensives exposed to the acute emotional stimulation procedures of this experiment tended to express psychologically more fear and anger than 15 normotensives, though the differences were not statistically significant.

Correlational analysis, which avoided the arbitrary designation of blood pressure groups, revealed that for these 48 subjects resting mean blood pressure showed a significantly positive correlation with ratings of psychological intensity of acute fear and acute anger in this experiment.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				G. E. Schwartz Psychophysiological patterning and emotion from a systems perspective Social Science Information, November 1, 1982; 21(6): 781 - 817.

				R. B. Williams and B. Eichelman Social Setting: Influence on the Physiological Response to Electric Shock in the Rat Science, November 5, 1971; 174(4009): 613 - 614. [Abstract] [PDF]