2. Type A is a collection of characteristics (or traits), and some traits are better predictors of CHD problems than others.
3. Ragland and Brand (1988) carried out a follow-up study of the Western Collaborative Group participants in 1982-3, 22 years after the start of the study. They found that 214 of the men had died of CHD. This study confirmed the importance of the CHD risk factors, but found little evidence of a relationship between Type A behaviours and morality, thus challenging the earlier conclusion that Type A personality was a significant risk factor for CHD mortality.
4. Williams et al. (2003) found that hostility and impatience were the aspects of Type A behaviour that were particularly unhealthy, putting individuals at increased risk of developing high blood pressure (a precursor to heart attacks and strokes)
5. Kirkaldy et al. (2002) found that Type A behaviour plus an external locus of control were an unhealthy combination.
The heart disease study - Rosenman et al (1975)
The Western Collaborative Group Study (WCGS) wanted to see whether Type A men were more likely to suffer from CHD than Type B men, and why.
How did they do it? 3,154 California men were assessed to see whether they were Type A or Type B, and also Type X ( a mixture of A and B). The men were studied for eight years.
What did they found? CHD was twice as likely in men with Type A personalities than Type B.
Evaluation:
- It is correlation research. Just because a man is a Type A does not necessarily mean that he will suffer with CHD.
- The researchers could not possibly control all aspects of the behaviour of 3,154 men over eight years, so other factors might have contributed to the rates of CHD.
Type B personality - A person who compared to a Type A person is described as being less competitive, less hostile, more patient, easygoing and tolerant. Type B people express themselves with slower speech and slower movements than Type A people and they are less likely to suffer from coronary heart disease.
Characteristics of Type B personality:
- less competitive
- less hostile and more patient
- easygoing and tolerant
- slower speech
- slower movements
- less likely to suffer from coronary heart disease
The hardy personality - provides defences against the negative effects of stress. These are control over one's life, commitment (i.e. a sense of involvement in the world, and challenge (i.e. life changes are opportunities rather than threats).
Factors of Hardy Personality:
- Control - belief that you have influence on what happens to you.
- Commitment - a sense of purpose and involvement in the world.
- Challenge - life changes viewed as challenges and opportunities rather than threats and stressors.
Research by Kobasa et al (1985) found:
- Hardiness, social support and regular exercise were all protective factors that acted additively to improve resistance to stress.
- Hardiness seemed to have greatest impact.
Evaluation of Hardy Personality:
1. There is some dispute about whether or not hardiness is a personality characteristic that is stable over time.
2. Much of Kobasa's work has been carried out with male, white-collar workers, and the findings may not have been generalisable to other groups.
3. According to Funk (1992), the 3-C's are less important than negativity. A negative person is a hardy person and the effects of stress vary with negativity.
4. Hardiness training can improve resistance to stress, Maddi et al (1988), although this research was done with the business community, so it may be difficult to generalise the findings.
5. Control, commitment and challenge have never been very clearly defined.
by
thenainoji (student)
