Type a Behavior and Cardiovascular Recovery from a Psychosocial Stressor

Abstract

The present study examined heart rate responses of Type A and Type B individuals during and after performance on the Stroop perceptual conflict task. The student version of the Jenkins Activity Survey was administered to thirty-two male Caucasians, who then performed the Stroop task for six minutes under conditions that emphasized time urgency and competition. Results showed that Type A's recovered significantly slower than Type B's after task completion. Type A's, compared to Type B's reported feeling more angry, time pressured, and impatient. The notion that Type A individuals may be at higher risk for coronary heart disease because of maladaptively prolonged cardiovascular arousal was discussed.