Levels of salivary cortisol and personality types of Grossarth-Maticek and Eysenck: A transcultural study

Abstract

Based on Grossarth-Maticek and Eysenck’s personality typology which relates types ofpersonality with certain diseases, this study analyzes, in two samples of Mexican and Spanishstudents, the relationship between personality type and the propensity for cancer and the propensityfor cardiovascular disease, and tobacco consumption and the levels of salivary cortisol. A totalof 190 Mexican and Spanish university students responded to the Short Interpersonal ReactionsInventory (SIRI) while we took saliva samples before and after the task. The results reveal that themore important effect came from the country of origin, with higher cortisol levels in the Mexicanstudents. On the other hand, only in these students tobacco use and the type of personality werefound to increase cortisol levels. The results are discussed from the perspective of Grossarth-Maticekand Eysenck’s theory as well as from the perspective of differences between countries andcortisol as a health risk.