Question

Which of the following statements is/are FALSE regarding the Type A personality?

a. Hundreds of studies have supported the validity of the Type A concept.

b. One study on Type A personality found that 15 percent of a group of 25-year-old doctors and lawyers who scored high on a hostility test were dead by age 50.

c. "While Type A behavior appears to promote heart disease, time urgency and overwork may be what triggers a heart attack."

d. Seething with anger but not outwardly expressing it increases pulse rate and blood pressure and puts a tremendous strain on the heart.

Answer 1

Statement a is FALSE, while statements b, c, and d are TRUE regarding the Type A personality and its impact on health.

Step-by-step explanation:

Statement a is FALSE regarding the Type A personality. While there have been numerous studies conducted on Type A behavior pattern, not all of them have consistently supported its validity. While some early studies suggested a link between Type A behavior pattern and heart disease, subsequent research has failed to replicate these findings (Myrtek, 2001; Glassman, 2007).

Statement b is TRUE. The Haynes et al. (1980) study mentioned in the reference materials found that 15 percent of a group of 25-year-old doctors and lawyers who scored high on a hostility test were dead by age 50. This highlights the potential negative impact of Type A behavior pattern on health.

Statement c is TRUE. Type A behavior pattern, characterized by time urgency and overwork, is believed to contribute to the development of heart disease. While the anger/hostility dimension is a significant factor, it is the time urgency and overwork that may trigger a heart attack (Friedman, 1977).

Statement d is TRUE. Seething with anger but not outwardly expressing it can increase pulse rate and blood pressure, putting a strain on the heart. The chronic sense of time urgency and hostility associated with Type A behavior pattern can have negative physiological effects (Friedman & Rosenman, 1974).