Racing Against Your Heart

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Racing Against Your Heart

• Friedman, M., Rosenman R.H. (1959)

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Traits of Personality

• Introvert- Tend to be reserved, withdrawn, and
  more focused on ideas rather than social
  relations
• Extrovert- Tend to be sociable, more friendly,
  and are involved in events outside self

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Friedmans Objective

• Dr. Friedman noticed the unusual wearing pattern
  of the material from his couches and chairs of
  his patients having coronary heart disease (CHD),
  which made him wonder, is there something
  different between the overall behavior of his
  patients compared to that of healthy people

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Method

• Both cardiologists set a model for specific overt
  characteristics
• Type A Personality- (Pattern A)
• 1. An intense, sustained drive to achieve ones
  personal goals.
• 2. A profound tendency and eagerness to compete
  in all situations
• 3. A persistent desire for recognition and
  advancement

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Method Continued...

• 4. Continuous involvement in multiple activities
  that are constantly subject to deadlines
• 5. Habitual tendency to rush to finish activities
• 6. Extraordinary mental and physical alertness
• Pattern B- Opposite of A pattern. Contains the
  absence of drive, ambition, sense of time
  urgency, desire to compete, or involvement of
  deadlines

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Method Contd...

• They contacted managers and supervisors for
  people who fit patterns A and B
• 83 men in each group- All male
• Average age in group A 45
• Average age in group B 43
• Tests were given to participants concerning
  history of CHD in parents, their own heart
  history, hrs. of work, sleep, exercise, etc.

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Method Contd...

• Tested on level of developed behavior pattern
• 69 of 83 men in group A exhibited this fully
  developed pattern
• 58 of 83 men in group B exhibited this fully
  developed pattern
• All subjects were to keep a diary of everything
  eaten or drunk for one week

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Method Contd...

• Diets were analyzed by dietitian who did not know
  of subjects identity
• Blood was taken from all subjects to measure
  cholesterol levels and clotting time.
  Independent cardiologist used for interpretations
• Number of sunjects with arcus senilis were
  inspected through eye inspections

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Results

• Subjects chosen for both Group A and B were found
  to fit their profile developed by researcher
• Group A tended to be a little higher on most
  measurements
• The cholesterol and illness levels for fully
  developed A and B types were statistically
  significant

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Results Continued...

• Cholesterol levels were much higher for group A
• The incidence of arcus senilis was three times
  greater for group A
• In group A, 23 of the subjects (28) exhibited
  clear evidence of CHD, compared with three men
  (4) in group B
• Correlation stronger with fully developed A types

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Criticisms

• Alternative explanations or results
• The greater number of cigarettes per day in group
  A is a factor that contributes to CHD
• Friedman and Rosenman stated that group A had an
  equal number of light smokers and heavy smokers
  both having CHD
• Group B, containing 46 heavy smokers, only two
  exhibited CHD

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Criticisms continued

• Group A reported a greater incidence of CHD in
  their parents maybe making it genetic rather than
  a behavior pattern
• Friedman and Rosenman stated that of the 30 group
  A men having a positive parental history, only 8
  (27) had heart disease and of the 53 mean
  without a parental history, 15 (28) had heart
  disease
• None of the 23 group B with a positive parental
  history exhibited CHD

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Further Evidence Of Associations Of Type A
Personality Scores And Driving -Related Attitudes
And Behaviors

• Anthony R. Perry and Dawn A. Baldwin (2000)

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Objective of this Study

• Replicate earlier findings regarding higher
  accident and traffic violation rates of Type A
  drivers in comparison to Type B drivers
• Examine the role of Type A personality with
  regard to specific driving attitudes and a wider
  range of driving behaviors

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Method

• 177 undergraduate mid-Atlantic university
  students (98 women, 79 men)
• Age range 18-40 years. Mean of 22
• Total Time required to finish was 50 min.
• Years of driving experience and type of driving
  (business or pleasure) were not available

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Procedure

• The study was described as a questionnaire study
  of driving attitudes and behaviors
• The Form T of the Jerkins Activity Survey was
  given to measure Type A personality
• A driving behavior and history questionnaire were
  given for history of accidents and violations.
  Measured
• impatience while driving
• frequency of law breaking

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Procedure continued...

• The Driving Appraisal Inventory for assessing
  carelessness, drunken driving, vehicle safety,
  and self-evaluation
• The Driving Behavior Questionnaire was used to
  measure aggression, law breaking, confidence,
  excitement, and risk taking
• A general demographic questionnaire was used to
  collect information about the participants
  characteristics (e.g.. Age, etc.)

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Results

• For demographic and driving variables, results
  showed the lower the age, the higher correlation
  of aggression when driving
• Men also rated themselves as safer drivers
• Type A were associated with higher incidences of
  accidents and law breaking, more feelings of
  impatience, more aggressiveness on the road, and
  more risk-taking while driving

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Results continued...

• Comparison of Extreme A and B type scores (fully
  developed types), reported A types involved in
  significantly more accidents and displaying more
  aggression then type B

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Criticisms

• Although higher in accident rates, etc., Type A
  groups rated themselves as better driver than
  most on the road (there is no significant
  correlation between Type A and number of tickets
  for violations)
• Drivers emotional state or personality to affect
  their performance on the road were not taken into
  account

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Criticisms Continued

• When self-report measures are used to assess Type
  A personality (Jerkins Activity Survey), the
  distinction between Type A vs. Type B can become
  difficult
• Differences in geographic locations and cultural
  differences are variables that were not considered