The relationship of personality to tolerance of an irritant compound

Exposed 18 volunteer army enlisted men to orthochloro-benzylidene malononitrile (a potent skin and mucuous membrane irritant). Ss were divided into 2 groups based on the length of time they tolerated the exposure. Comparisons made between the 2 groups of Ss' personalities as measured by the MMPI and the General Intelligence Test from the Army Classification Battery indicated that the less tolerant group had significantly higher scores on the L, K, Hy, Hy, and Lb scales of the MMPI and lower General Intelligence Test scores than the more tolerant group. Interpretation of high scores on these MMPI scales suggests that less tolerant Ss could be characterized by greater use of denial, repression, and somatic complaints than more tolerant Ss.