Psychosomatic Medicine 35:13-22 (1973)
© 1973 American Psychosomatic Society

Relationship of Serum Uric Acid to Achievement Motivation

Address for reprint requests: Marguerite G. Fowler, Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Fla 32601.

Serum uric acid (SUA) levels were determined for a sample of 164 male outpatients of a medical clinic. Within this sample were several groups of clinical significance--i.e., a representative distribution of idiopathic SUA values including hyperuricemics, normouricemics and hypouricemics, as well as those with overt clinical gout and those with diagnosed coronary heart disease (CHD). Several objective behavioral scales measuring facets of achievement motivation were administered in an attempt to further examine the relationship between SUA level and achievement motivation. Serum uric acid concentration was not found to be correlated with any one facet of achievement motivation for the entire idiopathic distribution, but both the hyperuricemics and hypouricemics exceeded the normouricemics on the achievement scale. The hyperuricemics also exceeded the normouricemics on the dominance (leadership) scale and on the achievement motivation composite (AMC). In comparing the AMC of those with hyperuricemia, gout, and coronary heart disease, those with gout or hyperuricemia did not differ significantly, but both exceeded those with coronary heart disease.