Not Simply “In Their Heads”: Individual Differences Associated With Victimization and Health1

Research has not examined whether victimization predicts health after controlling for personality differences associated with victimization and health. In Study 1, college students (N = 1182) completed surveys assessing victimization, health, and personality. In Study 2, college students (N = 69) pa...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inJournal of applied social psychology Vol. 42; no. 7; pp. 1625 - 1650
Main Authors KNACK, JENNIFER M., IYER, PRIYA A., JENSEN‐CAMPBELL, LAURI A.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Malden, USA Blackwell Publishing Inc 01.07.2012
Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
Subjects
Personality
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Summary:Research has not examined whether victimization predicts health after controlling for personality differences associated with victimization and health. In Study 1, college students (N = 1182) completed surveys assessing victimization, health, and personality. In Study 2, college students (N = 69) participated in a short‐term longitudinal study that examined whether (a) victimization would predict health changes; (b) increases in victimization would lead to increased health problems; and (c) fall health would predict spring victimization when personality was considered. After controlling for individual differences, we found victimization predicted health outcomes (Study 1) and health problems over time (Study 2). These findings suggest the victimization–health link may occur because of physiological changes, rather than personality differences associated with victimization and health.
Bibliography:This paper was funded by a grant awarded to Jennifer M. Knack and Lauri A. Jensen‐Campbell by Timberlawn Psychiatric Research Foundation, Inc. (Dallas, TX).
ISSN:0021-9029
1559-1816
DOI:10.1111/j.1559-1816.2012.00898.x