Table Of ContentCONSTITUTIONAL
PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGY
Research in Review
MICHAEL MYRTEK
Psychophysiology Research Group, Institute of Psychology
University of Freiburg
Freiburg, West Germany
Translated by Mark W. Greenlee
ACADEMIC PRESS, INC. 1984
(Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Publishers)
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This work is a licensed translation of
PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGISCHE KONSTITUTIONSFORSCHUNG: EIN BEITRAG ZUR
PSYCHOSOMATIK
Copyright 1980 Verlag fur Psychologie. Dr. C. J. Hogrefe.
COPYRIGHT © 1984, BY ACADEMIC PRESS, INC.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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ACADEMIC PRESS, INC.
Orlando, Florida 32887
United Kingdom Edition published by
ACADEMIC PRESS, INC. (LONDON) LTD.
24/28 Oval Road, London NW1 7DX
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Myrtek, Michael.
Constitutional psychophysiology: research in review.
Based on a research project conducted by the psycho-
physiology Research Group of the Institute of Psychology
at the University of Freiburg.
Translation of: Psychophysiologische Konstitutions-
forschung.
Bibliography: p.
Includes index.
1. Psychology, Physiological-Research-Methodology.
2. Medicine, Psychosomatic-Research. I. Universitat
Freiburg im Breisgau. Forschungsgruppe Psychophysiolog
ic. II. Title. [DNLM: 1. Psychophysiology. WL 103
M998p]
QP360.M9413 1982 616.08'072 82-18396
ISBN 0-12-512480-5
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
84 85 86 87 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
To my children
DANIEL, ELENA, and SEBASTIAN
PREFACE TO THE
ENGLISH TRANSLATION
The problem of constitution is as old as the sciences of medicine and psychol
ogy themselves. Much effort has been expended in a search for the biological
basis of personality and individual differences that has appeared under various
headings such as the nature-nurture problem, body-mind problem, psycho
physical correlation, etc. Despite the extensive work in this field, resulting in
countless articles, reviews, and monographs, no unequivocal conclusions can be
drawn as to psychophysiological covariance. This current state of affairs has
served as motivation for the present volume.
Following the initial work of Kretschmer and Sheldon on the relationship
between temperament and somatic types, M. Myrtek and the psychophysiologi
cal research team of the University of Freiburg have employed numerous psycho
logical, physiological, biochemical, and anthropometric measurements in exten
sive multivariate investigations of large student and cardiocirculatory patient
samples. All relevant methods of data analysis currently available were applied
in our attempt to reduce the data and to type individuals. The findings of these
carefully conducted investigations, although often not concurrent with the pre
dominant expectancies held by researchers in this field, may prove to be a
significant landmark in this field of psychophysiology. As such, the present
monograph is primarily addressed to research workers and graduate students in
the fields of psychophysiology, genetic psychology, personality, and differential
xi
xii PREFACE TO THE ENGLISH TRANSLATION
psychology, as well as psychosomatic medicine. Students of other related areas,
such as research in stress and strain, biofeedback, behavior therapy, attributional
research, and general cardiovascular medicine may well find the present volume
relevant to their particular research interests.
Upon first reading the original, German version of the present work, I realized
the need to disclose these findings to the English-speaking scientific community.
It is my hope that the present edition is as clear and idiomatically appropriate as
possible. This task has, however, turned out to be more difficult than I had
expected. I am, therefore, indebted to Dr. Myrtek for his assistance with the
more difficult passages, and my very special thanks go to I. Burgdorf for her
careful typing of the final manuscript. A. Sondhauss has prepared the figures and
tables and therefore receives my gratitude. Last but not least, I wish to acknowl
edge the continuous moral support of my wife, Insa, who has played a most
significant role in my acquisition of the German language.
MARK W. GREENLEE
AUTHOR'S PREFACE
The present study is based on the findings of a research project conducted by
the research team in psychophysiology at the Psychological Institute of the
University of Freiburg, West Germany.
For the last 8 years, one of our aims, along with multiple time-series studies
and activation research, has been to investigate the constitutional aspects of the
field of psychophysiology. Owing to its complexity, the task cannot be the work
of one individual alone. Thus the author would like to acknowledge the as
sistance of many co-workers.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
My very special thanks to Dr. J. Fahrenberg, who created the basis of this
research project in the early 1960s and who decisively contributed to its forma
tion and development. Dr. L. Delius (late director of the Gollwitzer-Meier In
stitute of the University of Munster) is gratefully acknowledged for his many
critical and encouraging comments. Furthermore, the author wishes to express
his gratitude to Dr. med. K. Konig (medical director of the Rehabilitation Clinic
for Cardiocirculatory Diseases in Waldkirch) for his cooperation in the clinical
investigations.
xiii
xiv AUTHORS PREFACE
F. Foerster advised us on statistical problems and assisted in the development
of many special programs. My gratitude should also be expressed to W. Muller
for his contribution of the computer analysis of biosignals. The doctoral and
graduate students who assisted in conducting the experiments are mentioned at
the appropriate places in the text. V. Hoppner designed and built instruments
without which certain experiments would not have been possible. D. Gierschner,
I. Grubert, and especially P. Kutzner are acknowledged for their extensive
biochemical analyses and for their assistance in conducting the experiments. My
thanks to G. Jansen for her careful data transfer.
R. Scheibel receives my very special thanks for her careful typing of the
manuscript and its tables. And, of course, my grateful acknowledgment to my
wife, Silvia, whose understanding lent constant support to my work.
Finally, I wish to acknowledge gratefully the generous financial support of the
Stiftung Volkswagenwerk (Foundation of the Volkswagen Company) in the first
years of this project, enabling the development of this research team. The clinical
investigations were made possible in part by the funding of the Bundesver-
sicherungsanstalt fur Angestellte (National Insurance Foundation), to which I am
deeply indebted. The original printing of the German version of this book was
financially supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Re
search Foundation), to which I am most grateful.
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
BH breath holding
BP blood pressure
CA Common Annoyances
C0 carbon dioxide
2
CP Cold Pressor Test
DZ dizygotic twins
ECG electrocardiogram
EDA electrodermal activity
EEG electroencephalogram
EL Adjective Check-List
EMG electromyogram
ER ergometric exercise
ESE subjective strain during experiments
FBL Freiburg Somatic Complaint List
FPI Freiburg Personality Inventory
FS factor score (factor analysis)
FSS Fear Survey Schedule
GT Giessen Test
h2 communality (factor analysis)
HR Hypochondriac Behavior
XV
xvi LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
HV hyperventilation
ICG impedance cardiography
Κ kurtosis
LGW Life Habits Questionnaire
LIV law of initial values
LM Achievement-Motivation Questionnaire
Μ mean
MAS Manifest Anxiety Scale
MMPI Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory
MMQ Maudsley Medical Questionnaire
MPI Maudsley Personality Inventory
MZ monozygotic twins
Ν number of subjects
ns not significant
NS Number Sequence Test
0 oxygen
2
OC orthostatic complaints
OT orthostatic test
Ρ level of significance
PC principal components factor analysis
PCA physical circulatory analysis
PES present mood and emotional state
PWV pulse wave velocity
R rest
RT reaction time test
S skewness
SAP subjective ability to perform
SD standard deviation
SEN Sensory Discrimination and Sensitivity
SKAS Scale of Self-Assessment of Current Mood
Stab stability coefficients
VES autonomic stigmatization
V0 max maximal oxygen uptake
2
INTRODUCTION
The teachings of Hippocrates may be viewed as the first philosophy of the
human constitution. Hippocrates defined the physiological (four humors) and
psychological aspects (four temperaments) of constitution. This approach con
siders two main aspects: (a) the investigation of the biological basis of behavior,
that is, the search for psychophysiological relationships; and (b) the role of
individual differences in the genesis of certain diseases, which may suggest
possible preventive and rehabilitative courses. The present study attempts to
offer a contribution to these issues, limited, of course, by current methodological
and technical possibilities.
In the first chapter, definitions of some essential terms, recent developments,
and the current state of research, as well as empirical results are reviewed. Their
possible relevance to current problems arising in the prevention and rehabilita
tion of cardio-circulatory diseases is suggested. Furthermore, important mor
phological, physiological, and psychophysiological concepts and models will be
discussed along with selected studies that deal with the nature-nurture problem.
The second chapter describes the psychological and physiological methods cur
rently applied in research. Since a considerable number of methodological prob
lems had to be resolved, some special investigations were conducted. Regarding
constitutional studies, the section on the reliability and stability of psycho
physiological variables should be of special interest. In the third chapter, the
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