Hostility and facial affect recognition: effects of a cold pressor stressor on accuracy and cardiovascular reactivity.

The effects of hostility and a cold pressor stressor on the accuracy of facial affect perception were examined in the present experiment. A mechanism whereby physiological arousal level is mediated by systems which also mediate accuracy of an individual's interpretation of affective cues is described. Right-handed participants were classified as high hostile (N = 28) or low hostile (N = 28) using the Cook Medley Hostility Scale.