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An intensive 7-week relaxation therapy was evaluated in a sample of unmedicated borderline hypertensive men. All subjects were provided state-of-the-art medical information regarding changes known to affect hypertension favorably, e.g., lower salt intake and regular exercise. In addition, relaxation subjects were trained in muscle relaxation that entailed audiotaped home practice. As predicted, relaxation combined with hygiene lowered blood pressure more than did hygiene alone. Neither treatment favorably affected a paper-and-pencil measure of anger but relaxation did lower anger-hostility on a new cognitive assessment procedure, Articulated Thoughts in Simulated Situations (ATSS). Moreover, ATSS anger-hostility reduction was correlated with blood pressure or heart rate reductions, for all subjects and especially for those in the Relaxation condition. This represents the first clinically demonstrated link between change in a cognitive variable and change in cardiovascular activity. Finally, results were especially strong in subjects high in norepinephrine, suggesting its importance in essential hypertension.

To explore the hypothesis that individuals with Type A behavior pattern have an underlying sensitivity to social criticism, the Articulated Thoughts in Simulated Situations paradigm was used to examine differences in articulated cognitions between Types A and B individuals in response to simulated taped situations involving social criticism and nonevaluative stress. Individuals with Type B behavior pattern (as measured by the Jenkins Activity Survey) and extreme Type Bs (as measured by the structured interview) engaged in significantly more self-supportive self-talk than Type A individuals in response to social criticism. Types A and B subjects did not differ in their responses to the nonevaluative situation. These findings provide some support for the notion that sensitivity to criticism is a component of Type A. However, the prediction that Type As would respond with more self-deprecating or hostile cognitions than Type Bs was not confirmed.

Adolescent cigarette smokers from randomly selected classrooms from 24 California and Illinois high schools were assessed regarding their interest in cessation, reasons for quitting, and smoking temptation circumstances. These data were analyzed by gender. Males and females were not found to differ in quit stage or perceived likelihood of ever quitting smoking, although males reported being somewhat more likely to have ever tried to quit in the past. The associations of reasons for quitting were not found to vary by gender in most comparisons. On the other hand, the associations of smoking temptation circumstances with gender showed that a greater percentage of females than males reported more circumstances that would make them tempted to smoke. Smoking cigarettes to regulate one's affective states, and to avoid nicotine withdrawal, may be functions of smoking that impede efforts at quitting, particularly among adolescent females.