title: Associations of self-reports versus spouse ratings of negative affectivity, dominance, and affiliation with coronary artery disease: where should we look and who should we ask when studying personality and health?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Aspects of negative affect and social behavior studied as risk factors for coronary heart disease are usually examined separately and through self-reports. Using structural models of these personality domains, we tested associations of self-reports and spouse ratings of anxiety, depressive symptoms, anger, affiliation and dominance with coronary artery disease (CAD).
  
  
  METHODS
  In 154 healthy older couples, the authors tested cross-sectional associations with CAD of three facets of negative affectivity and two dimensions of the Interpersonal Circumplex, (IPC) using scales derived from the NEO-PI-R.
  
  
  METHODS
  CAD was quantified as Agatston scores from CT scans of coronary artery calcification (CAC).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Self-reports were generally unrelated to CAC, whereas spouse ratings were consistently associated, largely independent of potential confounds. When considered simultaneously, anxiety and anger were related to CAC but depression was not. When considered together, both dominance and (low) affiliation were related to CAC.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Structural models of negative affectivity and social behavior can facilitate integrative study of psychosocial risk factors. Further, self-report measures of these traits might under-estimate related CHD risk.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA. tim.smith@psych.utah.edu
authors.forename: Timothy W
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Bert N
authors.initials: BN
authors.lastname: Uchino
authors.forename: Cynthia A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Berg
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Florsheim
authors.forename: Gale
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pearce
authors.forename: Melissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hawkins
authors.forename: Nancy J M
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Henry
authors.forename: Ryan M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Beveridge
authors.forename: Michelle A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Skinner
authors.forename: Paul N
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Hopkins
authors.forename: Hyo-Chun
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Yoon
mesh_terms: D000339:Affect; D000368:Aged; D000786:Anger; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D010551:Personality; D010552:Personality Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012930:Social Dominance; D018454:Spouses; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires