Type D personality and blunted cardiovascular stress reactivity: Role of task engagement

Objective The underlying mechanisms for linking Type D personality to cardiovascular stress reactivity remain unknown. The present study explored the possible mediating role of cognitive appraisals of stress and/or motivational levels involved in stress in the association between Type D personality and cardiovascular stress reactivity. Design Cross‐sectional. Methods Chinese version of Type D Scale‐14 was administered to 154 undergraduate students who underwent psychosocial stress during which the physiological data were continuously monitored, and cognitive appraisals indexed by a ratio of perceived stress demands to perceived personal resources and motivational levels engaged in stress indexed by self‐reported stress task engagement were immediately assessed after the stress exposure. Results Results indicated that Type D personality was related to blunted HR, SBP, and DBP reactivity to stress. Self‐reported stress task engagement mediated the relation between Type D personality and blunted cardiovascular stress reactivity. The mediation effect of cognitive appraisals on this link was non‐significant. Conclusions These findings suggest that motivational disengagement in the psychosocial stress task might be an important pathway linking Type D personality to blunted cardiovascular stress reactivity.