Behavioral and psychophysiological correlates of the coronary-prone personality: New data and unanswered questions

Abstract

Young male subjects, labeled Type A or Type B by means of the Bortner Scale and the Jenkins Activity Survey, first estimated the passage of five different intervals of time under one of three levels of distraction and then solved math and spelling problems. Autonomic nervous system activity was monitored while they performed these tasks. Results showed that Type A's under-estimated the passage of the longest time interval relative to Type B's, and had slower reaction times to the most difficult math problems. No physiological differences between Type A's and B's were found.