Hardiness and Sensation Seeking as Potential Moderating Variables in the Stress-Illness Relationship

One hundred and fifteen undergraduate psychology students participated in a study designed primarily to investigate the personality styles characterized by "hardiness" and "sensation seeking" as potential moderators in the stress illness relationship. Subjects completed inventories measuring life-event stress, perceived stress, and illness experienced during the previous year, as well as questionnaires measuring hardiness, sensation seeking, and maladjustment. Correlation analysis revealed significant positive relationships between life-event stress and illness and perceived stress and illness as well as a significant negative relationship between hardiness and maladjustment. Multiple regression analyses showed that life-event stress, perceived stress, and the two measures used together significantly predicted illness. Life-event stress and perceived stress used together, however, accounted for more variance in illness scores than did either measure alone. Life-event stress and perceived stress were not significantly correlated with one another, and appeared to measure independent constructs.