Type A & B Personality Types Flashcards

Type A Personality Characteristics

• Type A individuals are characterized by time pressure, competitiveness, and hostility.
• Tend to feel rushed and constantly engage in multitasking.
• Display high levels of irritability and impatience, especially when idle.

Time Pressure

• Associated with working against the clock and competing to achieve tasks.
• May result in frustration and difficulty in managing downtime.

Competitiveness

• Highly driven to win in competitive scenarios, both in professional and recreational settings.
• Measure success by the volume of achievements rather than the quality of experiences.

Anger in Type A Personalities

• Self-critical nature leads to internalized hostility.
• Tendency to direct frustration towards oneself while exhibiting hostility externally.

Type A Personality and Heart Disease

• Individuals with Type A traits respond rapidly and intensely to stress, impacting cardiovascular health.
• Increased heart rate and blood pressure from stress behaviors contribute to a higher likelihood of heart disease compared to Type B individuals.

Characteristics of Type B Personality

• Type B individuals are generally relaxed, patient, and tolerant.
• Rarely experience significant stress, but this trait may hinder performance in high-pressure situations like exams.

Theory Strengths

• The personality type theory is straightforward and easy to understand.
• However, lacks robust research backing, as studies often show weak links between stress levels and Type A behaviors.

Friedman and Rosenman (1974) Study

• Involved 3,200 healthy men aged 39-59 assessed for personality types in 1960 and reevaluated 8.5 years later.
• Found 257 developed coronary heart disease (CHD), with 70% classified as Type A.
• Study controls for other risk factors, affirming a correlation between Type A personality and stress-related illnesses.

Friedman and Rosenman (1974) Evaluation

• The longitudinal design allows observation of heart disease development over time.
• Limitations include generalizability issues, as all participants were men, excluding women's cardiovascular risks.

Muhammed Jamal (1990) Study

• Studied 215 full-time nurses to explore the impact of Type A behavior on job-related stress and satisfaction.
• Results indicated that Type A traits correlate with increased job stress and lower satisfaction levels.

Muhammed Jamal (1990) Evaluation

• Illustrates ecological validity since nursing is a recognized stressful profession.
• Challenges exist in establishing direct cause-and-effect relationships, as Type A individuals might pursue higher-stress roles.