Although some have said nice guys end up in last place, new research suggests they may come out on top when it comes to their health.
Scientists at the University's Behavioral Medicine Research Center are now studying genetic bases for stress-induced hostility-expressed in the form of anger, aggression or social isolation spurred by distrust.
A genetic predisposition for hostility can increase people's risk for diseases including diabetes, heart disease and obesity, said Redford Williams, professor of behavioral psychiatry at the center.
"People with high levels of hostility are more likely to be depressed, socially isolated and lack support in their daily lives," Williams said. "Also, levels of behaviors such as smoking, alcohol consumption and even eating more are often linked to these levels of hostility."
Although past research findings have supported the theory that stressful environments and lifestyles can damage human health, Williams hopes to better explain the genetic basis for the body's response to stress.
Williams conducts experiments among families and individuals in order to better understand what patterns, genetic or behavioral, explain risk of heart disease and other illnesses.
One major concept that explains the role of behavior in causing illness is the fight-or-flight, or acute stress, response, which triggers chemical reactions that prime organisms for threats.
Williams aims to classify genetic bases for enhanced stress responses, which are expressed as hostility on the surface level, he said.
In recent years, Williams has found not only genetic but also socioeconomic factors that may explain hostile tendencies.
People of lower socioeconomic status have increased risk factors for stress, including lack of support, difficult life situations, and stress at work, Williams said.
"They are people trying hard to do a good job but feel like they are not getting rewards," he said.
Williams and Richard Surwit, professor and vice chairman of the division of medical psychology and health sciences, are now studying how the genetic basis for hostility can influence blood glucose levels and contribute to the development of diabetes.
"While cardiovascular disease is often used as the major indication of how excessive anger and stress responses can affect us, the full picture is more complex," Williams said. "We must also remember that stress hormones, for example, lend to your body's fat storage and blood pressure responses."
Their chosen area of study illustrates how psychology has evolved to include the study of genetics, Surwit noted.
He said that although current scientists focus on the perils of high stress, decades ago scientists connected illnesses to personality types rather than to "detached or broad" explanations such as stress.
"[People believed] gastric ulcers were caused by passivity and an inability to express anger, whereas hyperactivity was interpreted as an over-expression of anger," Surwit said.
Williams, who also leads stress-management workshops, said techniques for controlling stress can counteract the body's inclination to hostility.
"[Hostility] makes sense when you're writing that last-minute paper or about to be attacked by a polar bear, but not when you're in line at the bank," Williams said.
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