Date of Award
1-1-2024
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
M.A. in Psychology
First Advisor
Aaron Lee
Second Advisor
Todd A. Smitherman
Third Advisor
Laura J. Dixon
Relational Format
dissertation/thesis
Abstract
Hypertension is a leading risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Higher levels of trait anger and unforgiveness are linked with elevations in blood pressure, which increases one’s risk for hypertension. Most of the research examining the association between trait anger, trait forgiveness, and blood pressure (BP) uses single-time point assessment of BP and thus, is not able to capture day-to-day BP variability. Further, existing research has primarily focused on the forgiveness of others. The purpose of this study is to address these gaps in the literature. This is a preliminary analysis using about one-fourth of the target sample. Sixteen community-dwelling adults were recruited from medical clinics in Mississippi and from staff at the University of Mississippi. The Heartland Forgiveness Scale (HFS) was used to measure trait forgiveness of self and others. Trait anger was measured using the anger subscale of the Brief Aggression Questionnaire (BAQ). Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitors (ABPM) were used to repeatedly measure BP during a 24-hour period. Participants’ ABPM data was used to calculate mean 24- hour systolic and diastolic ABP, mean 24-hour heart rate, systolic and diastolic mean arterial pressure dipping (MAPdp), and ambulatory arterial stiffness index (AASI). Two separate three-step hierarchical linear regression models tested the main and interactive effects of trait anger, trait forgiveness, and the six outcome variables, controlling for age and sex. Bivariate correlations quantified the linear relationships between these variables. Higher levels of trait anger predicted increased AASI in both models (p = .030; p = 0.12). Small to moderate correlations were also found between trait anger and mean systolic ABP (r = .28), systolic MAPdp (r = -.27), and diastolic MAPdp (r = -.41). Trait forgiveness of self had small to moderate correlations with mean diastolic ABP (r = -.21), systolic MAPdp (r = .28), and diastolic MAPdp (r = .41). Trait forgiveness of others did not have significant relationships with any of the outcome variables. Interventions aimed at decreasing trait anger and resolving unforgiveness towards self, may be cardioprotective. Further research is needed to establish these relationships.
Recommended Citation
Kirsch, Bianca, "Trait Forgiveness and Trait Anger: Links With 24-Hour Ambulatory Blood Pressure" (2024). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 2828.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/etd/2828