Hostility, social support, and perceptions of work.

The aim of this study was to determine whether hostility and perceived availability of social support are related to perceptions of the work environment. The W.W. Cook and D.M. Medley (1954) Hostility (Ho) scale; the Interpersonal Support Evaluation List (S. Cohen, R. Mermelstein, T. Kamarck, & H. Hoberman, 1985); and measures of collegiality, time pressure, and job dissatisfaction were completed by 204 attorneys (159 men and 45 women). After controlling for age, gender, and other job characteristics, high Ho scores were related to lower perceived supportive collegiality at work. Low perceived availability of social support was related to greater job dissatisfaction. Neither hostility nor social support was associated with perceptions of time pressure at work. These findings suggest that hostility and availability of social support may be an important pathway linking certain job characteristics to cardiovascular disease and other illnesses.