Abstract
The purpose of this investigation was to assess the relationship between selected psychological and behavioral measures concenred with the expression of anger and the report of psychosomatic symptoms. Presumably healthy college students filled out a symptom inventory which served as the criterion measure. Additionally, questionnaires were used to measure sex-role stereotypy, assertiveness, various types of hostility, and hostility guilt, which were then employed in a series of related analyses. Results supporting predicted relationships consistently demonstrated a positive association between the number of symptoms and indirect expression of anger as well as certain stereotypically feminine traits. Significant negative correlations were found between the symptom measure and assertiveness and between the symptom measure and scores on masculinity scales. Predictions that symptom frequency would be negatively related to the direct expression of hostility and positively related to hostility-guilt were not supported.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ax, A. F. The physiological differentiation between fear and anger in humans. Psychosomatic Medicine, 1953, 15, 433–442.
Bard, M., & Waxenberg, S. E. Relationship of Cornell Medical Index responses to post-surgical invalidism. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 1957, 13, 151–153.
Bendig, A. W. A factor analysis of personality scales including the Buss-Durkee Hostility Inventory. Journal of General Psychology, 1962, 66, 179–183.
Brodman, K., Erdmann, A. J., Jr., & Wolff, H. G. Manual for the Cornell Medical Index — Health Questionnaire. New York: Cornell University Medical School, 1949. (a)
Brodman, K., Erdmann, A. J., Jr., Lorge, I., & Wolff, H. G. The Cornell Medical Index: An adjunct to medical interview. Journal of the American Medical Association, 1949, 140, 530–534. (b)
Brodman, K., Erdmann, A. J., Jr., Lorge, I., & Wolff, H. G. The Cornell Medical Index — Health Questionnaire II. As a diagnostic instrument. Journal of the American Medical Association, 1951, 145, 152–157.
Brodman, K., Erdmann, A. J., Jr., Lorge, I., Gershenson, C., & Wolff, H. G. The Cornell Medical Index — Health Questionnaire III. The evaluation of emotional disturbances. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 1952, 8, 119–124. (a)
Brodman, K., Erdmann, A. Jr., Lorge, I., Gershenson, C., & Wolff, H. G. The Cornell Medical Index — Health Questionnaire IV. The recognition of emotional disturbances in a general hospital. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 1952, 8, 289–293. (b)
Brooks, G. R. Emotional skills training: A treatment program for duodenal ulcer (Doctoral dissertation, University of Texas, 1976). Dissertation Abstracts International, 1976, 37, 2474b. (University Microfilms No. 76-24, 956, 120)
Broverman, I. K., Broverman, D. M., Clarkson, F. E., Rosenkrantz, P. S., & Vogel, S. R. Sexrole stereotypes of clinical judgments of mental health. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 1970, 34, 1–7.
Buss, A. H. The psychology of aggression. New York: Wiley, 1961.
Buss, A. H., & Durkee, A. An inventory for assessing different kinds of hostility. Journal of Consulting Psychology, 1957, 21, 343–349.
Conoley, C. W. The effects of vicarious reinforcement in assertive training on assertive behavior, anxiety and food intake of underassertive obese females (Doctoral dissertation, University of Texas, 1976). Dissertation Abstracts International, 1976, 37, 2497B. (University Microfilms NO. 76-26, 614, 131)
Gambaro, A., & Rabin, S. Diastolic blood pressure response following direct and displaced aggression after anger arousal, in high and low guilt subjects. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1969, 12, 87–94.
Gambrill, E. D., & Richey, C. A. An assertion inventory for use in assessment and research. Behavior Therapy, 1975, 6, 550–561.
Hokanson, J. E., & Burgess, M. Effects of three types of aggression on vascular processes. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 1962, 64, 446–449. (a)
Hokanson, J. E., & Burgess, M. The effect of status, type of frustration, and aggression on vascular processes. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 1962, 65, 232–237. (b)
Hokanson, J. E., Burgess, M., & Cohen, M. F. Effects of displaced aggression on systolic blood pressure. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 1963, 67, 214–218.
Hokanson, J. E., & Shetler, J. Effect of overt aggression on physiological arousal. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 1961, 63, 446–448.
Jensen, B. J., & Haynes, S. N. Effects of covert modeling on heterosexual social anxiety and performance. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Midwestern Psychological Association, Chicago, 1979.
Kagan, J., & Moss, H. A. Birth to maturity. New York: Wiley, 1962.
Knox, S. J. An evaluation of Cornell Medical Index responses in the identification of psychiatric illness associated with mitral surgery. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 1963, 7, 35–39.
Leibowitz, G. Comparison of self-reports and behavioral techniques of assessing aggression. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 1968, 32, 21–25.
Lowenstein, L. F. Who is the bully? Home and School, 1977, 11, 3–4.
Mosher, D. L. The development and multitrait-multimethod matrix analysis of three measures of three aspects of guilt. Journal of Consulting Psychology, 1966, 30, 25–29.
Mosher, D. L. Measurement of guilt in females by self-report inventories. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 1968, 32, 690–695.
Rosenkrantz, P. S., Vogel, S. R., Bee, H., Broverman, I. K., & Broverman, D. M. Sex-role stereotypes and self-concepts in college students. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 1968, 32, 287–295.
Safran, J. D., Alden, L. E., & Davidson, P. O. Client anxiety level as a moderator variable in assertion training. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 1980, 4, 189–200.
Schill, T. R. Aggression and blood pressure responses of high and low guilt subjects following frustration. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 1972, 38, 461–465.
Sears, R. R. Relation of early socialization experiences to aggression in middle childhood. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 1961, 64, 466–492.
Spence, J. T., & Helmreich, R. L. Masculinity and femininity: Their psychological dimensions, correlates and antecedents. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1978.
Spence, J. T., Helmreich, R., & Stapp, J. The personal Attribute Questionnaire: A measure of sex-role stereotypes and masculinity-femininity. JSAS Catalog of Selected Documents in Psychology, 1974, 4, 127.
Spence, J. T., Helmreich, R., & Stapp, J. Ratings of self and peers on sex-role attributes and their relation to self-esteem and conceptions of masculinity and femininity. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1975, 32, 29–39.
Storr, A. Human aggression. New York: Atheneum, 1968.
Weiss, L., & Aved, B. M. Marital satisfaction and depression as predictors of physical health status. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 1978, 46, 1379–1384.
Wolf, S. Emotions and the autonomic nervous system. Archives of Internal Medicine, 1970, 126, 1027.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Heiser, P., Gannon, L. The relationship of sex-role stereotypy to anger expression and the report of psychosomatic symptoms. Sex Roles 10, 601–611 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00287268
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00287268