Type A college males manifested higher pulse rates, greater blood pressure in response to self-esteem threats, and employed more suppression and denial than Type B subjects.
Cross-Sectional (n=84)
Does Type A behavior pattern increase psychophysiological arousal and alter cognitive coping strategies in response to stress compared to Type B behavior in college males?
Type A behavior is associated with heightened cardiovascular reactivity and specific cognitive coping strategies during stress, which may contribute to the risk of premature heart disease.
This study was conducted to examine (a) whether Type A individuals respond with more psychophysiological arousal to threat to self-esteem than to threat of shock, (b) whether differences between Type A and Type B individuals in psychophysiological responses are greater under high than low stress, and (c) whether Type A and Type B individuals differ in how they cognitively cope with stress. Eighty-four college males served as subjects. The results indicated that the Type A subjects manifested higher pulse rates across all conditions and greater systolic and diastolic blood pressure in response to threat to self-esteem than did Type B subjects. The Type A subjects also employed more suppression in response to both threat to self-esteem and threat of shock and employed more denial in response to threat to self-esteem than did Type B subjects. Implications regarding the means by which Type A behavior increases the risk of premature heart disease are discussed.
Pittner et al. (Tue,) conducted a cross-sectional in Healthy (n=84). Type A behavior pattern vs. Type B behavior pattern was evaluated on Psychophysiological arousal (pulse rate, blood pressure) and cognitive coping strategies in response to stress. Type A college males manifested higher pulse rates, greater blood pressure in response to self-esteem threats, and employed more suppression and denial than Type B subjects.