From each of the baseline tape-recorded Type A/B structured interviews administered in CARDIA, eighteen questions were scored for self-references, perceived pressure, anger experience, and anger expression. The anger measures were related to other measures of anger-in and hostility in order to establish their validity. The interrelationships of these factors were assessed separately for each of the socioeconomic status (SES) categories. A major focus of the analyses was to describe SES differences in how pressure was perceived and how anger was experienced and expressed. The study also assessed how these factors were related to data already collected on psychosocial risk factors and primary risk factors including blood pressure, serum cholesterol, and cigarette smoking.