Psychological topics, Vol. 14. No. 2., 2005.
Review article
What is the relationship between negative affectivity and physical symptoms?
Kristina Dankić
Abstract
Health is considered as one of the most important components of quality of life. Research has shown the relation between objective indicators of health and psychological well-being, to be quite weak. By contrast, research findings regularly confirm a high correlation between subjective indicators of health and psychological well-being.
Authors such as Watson and Pennebaker (1989) conclude that subjective health indicators, including physical symptoms, have significant implications for one's daily functioning. Therefore, frequently repeated health related difficulties need professional attention. This seems especially justified when we know that almost 35% of patients report the disappearance or lessening of symptoms as a reaction to a placebo.
Most research studies directed at verifying the role of personality in forming and reporting on physical sympotms are based on a personality trait called negative affectivity. It should be pointed out that on various samples, using different measures, correlations between negative affectivity/neuroticism and physical symptoms vary from .30 to .50. Some researchers even suggest that the relationship between negative affectivity/neuroticism and physical hardships is so strong that physical problems should be viewed more as parts than correlations of this wider dimension (Watson & Pennebaker, 1989).
Therefore, although serious diseases and premature deaths are, without any doubt, of the greatest public health concern and represent far bigger problems than subjective health indicators, it seems that this dimension, also ought to be important to all those dealing with the psychological and physical well-being of people.
Keywords
physical symptoms; negative affectivity; neuroticism
Hrčak ID:
11843
URI
Publication date:
1.12.2005.
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