The role of neuroticism on psychological and physiological stress responses

This study examined the influence of personality on stressor appraisals and emotional, physiological, and behavioral responses to psychosocial stress. Appraisals were used to classify participants as threatened (they believed their coping resources were inadequate relative to stressor demands) or challenged (they believed their coping resources were commensurate with stressor demands). Neuroticism predicted threat appraisals, and both were related to negative emotional experience and poor task performance. The influence of neuroticisin on negative emotions and poor performance was mediated by threat appraisals. High neuroticisin confers stress vulnerability, but only when conditions are construed as threatening. (C) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.