Intellect and Somatic Health: Associations with Hypochondriacal Concerns, Perceived Threat and Fainting

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Background: Compared to the other domains of the Big 5, intellect has been relatively underresearched with regard to somatic health outcomes. It is argued that this, in part, is because specific hypotheses concerning intellect and somatic health have not been formulated. It is argued that intellect is related to both alexithymia and hypnotic ability. As such the High Risk Model of Threat Perception forms one useful theoretical framework for generating hypotheses about intellect and somatic health. On this basis it is hypothesised that intellect should show a U-shaped relationship to hypochondriacal concerns, a positive association with appraisals of threat and loss, and a negative association with levels of self-reported vasovagal syncope (feelings of faintness). Methods: Two cross-sectional studies, using student samples (n = 205, 179), examined the relationships between intellect and hypochondriacal concerns as well as intellect and appraisals of threat and loss. A third prospective study, using a sample of blood donors (n = 373), examined the relationship between levels of self-reported vasovagal syncope and intellect. Results: Compared to the other domains of the Big 5, intellect demonstrated a U-shaped association with hypochondriacal concerns, a positive association with perceived threat and loss and a negative association with fainting. The negative association with fainting remained once incidence of previous fainting, the number of previous blood donations and emotional stability were held as covariates. Conclusions: Intellect is associated in a number of important ways with a variety of psychosomatic variables.

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