Bita Bemani Yazdi, Parviz Azadfallah, Fariborz Bagheri,
Volume 3, Issue 3 (11-2009)
Abstract
This study attempts to investigate the effect of emotional experiences on cardiovascular reactions and facial electromyogram (EMG) among the subjects classified as type D personality. To do so, in the first stage, according to the extreme scores in DS14 questionnaire, two groups including high type D personality and low type D personality participants (each with 15Ss) were selected among 405 female students of the Islamic Azad University. In the second stage, electrodes were put on the selected participants’ faces and hands and then the baseline measures of the variables of EMG, PULSE and BVP were first recorded and then the measures of these variables were recorded during two negative and positive emotional states caused by sad and happy music, for 150 seconds. The findings showed that the participants with high type D personality had a higher activity in the corrugator muscle in the negative emotional state and the participants with low type D personality had a higher activity in the zeugmatic muscle in the positive emotional state. There were also no significant differences between the cardiovascular reactivity in these two groups with different states. Based on the findings of this study, it can be concluded that type D personality is an important risk factor that increases the experience of negative emotions. Furthermore, inhibition of the negative emotional expression may lead to adverse health outcomes. So, considering type D personality as a risk factor for the physical health is recommended.
