Personality types A, B & C
- Research suggests that personality could perhaps explain individual differences in response to stress
- Psychologists (see below) developed a theory of personality types to describe people sharing similar traits and became interested in possible connections between personality types and different stress-related illnesses
Personality type A
- Friedman and Rosenman (1959) were doctors looking at the diets of male coronary heart disease (CHD) patients, and found that the patients’ partners who ate similar food had no heart problems
- Freidman and Rosenman realised that certain behaviours related to cholesterol levels and blood clotting time were associated with a greater risk of CHD
- These behaviour patterns were named by Friedman and Rosenman as ‘Type A’ personality, characterised as competitive, ambitious, work-driven, time-conscious and aggressive
Personality type B
- Freidman and Rosenman also identified a ‘Type B’ personality, with very different characteristics from Type A, being much calmer and self-confident, tending to enjoy recreation and to not feel guilty about relaxing
- People with Type B personality characteristics were much less likely to suffer from CHD or other stress-related illnesses
Personality type C
- Temoshok (1987) identified ‘Type C’ individuals as introverted, sensitive, thoughtful and inclined towards perfectionism, taking everything seriously and working very hard
- However, because Type C personalities tend not to express their emotions, and are unassertive, they are easily stressed and prone to developing certain cancers, depression and illnesses associated with immunosuppression
Type B personalities know how to relax to stay healthy.