Semester
Spring
Date of Graduation
2012
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Type
MS
College
Eberly College of Arts and Sciences
Department
Psychology
Committee Chair
Kevin Larkin
Abstract
This study investigated health behavior as a possible mediator of the link between hostility and poor physical and psychological health. The relations of health behavior, character strength, and virtuous behavior to hostility and health were also examined. A sample of 689 undergraduate participants (69.4% female) completed a series of on-line assessments that measured hostility, physical health, psychological health, health behavior, social support, character strength, and virtuous behavior. Health behavior was examined and found to be a significant partial mediator of the relations between hostility and physical and psychological health. Furthermore, the results of multiple regressions revealed that gender, hostility, and health behavior were meaningfully related to physical health, and gender, hostility, and virtuous behavior significantly predicted psychological health. Together these findings indicated that interventions designed to improve health outcomes for hostile individuals with an emphasis on engagement in health behaviors and virtuous behaviors should be devised and tested.
Recommended Citation
Goulet, Carol, "Examination of Mediational Models of the Hostility-Health Link" (2012). Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports. 4860.
https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/4860