Type A and B subjects' self-reported cognitive/affective/behavioral responses to descriptions of potentially frustrating situations.

Abstract

This study compared Type A and Type B individuals' self-reported thoughts and behavioral responses to descriptions of potentially frustrating situations. The Jenkins Activity Survey was first administered to 181 adults to assess their TYpe A tendencies. The Type A scores were then used in forming two groups of 40 extreme Type A's and 40 extreme Type B's. These 80 subjects were subsequently presented with written descriptions of 16 potentially frustrating situations included in the questionnaire "What Pushes Your Button?" and asked to provide two responses to each situation: what they might think if confronted with that situation and what they might actually do in that situation. Their self-reported thoughts and behaviors were classified by independent raters into designated categories. The results showed that Type A individuals' self-reported thoughts reflected significantly more negative than neutral affect and significantly more negative affect than the Type B individuals' thoughts. However, the two groups did not differ significantly in any of the self-reported behavior categories (e.g., nonassertion, aggression, assertion, problem solving, and neutral). Some gender differences were evidenced for the Type A subjects. Women were more inclined than men to report negative affect at the covert level but much less inclined than men to report aggressive responses at the behavioral level.