individual differences in stress: personality type

Question 1

Explain a type A personality?

Answer 1

• competitive
• hostility
• time urgency
• more likely to have CHD

Question 2

Evaluate a weakness of the type A personality?

Answer 2

• broad concept, and has too many traits
• an a analysis of a 27 yr follow up data from a study showed high correlation of high CDH death rates for men with high hostility scores (shows the impact of hostility)
• correlation with CDH but vague

Question 3

Evaluate research that supports type A personality?

Answer 3

• Study into 150 Spanish men+ women under 65 who had, had a stroke+ compared with a matched control group
• stoke suffered more likely to have type A personality
• supports type A characteristic

Question 4

Explain a type B personality?

Answer 4

• relaxed
• tolerant
• less competitive

Question 5

Explain procedure for research into type A and B personalities?

Answer 5

• FREIDMAN AND ROSENBURG
• Men medically assessed for being free of CHD
• asked 25 questions about personality type
• designed to incite type A behaviour in patients
• then categorised A or B

Question 6

Explain findings from research into type A and B personalities?

Answer 6

• 9 years later 270 men developed CDH with 70% being assessed as type A
• type A had higher levels of stress hormones + blood pressure
• type A are more vulnerable to stressors =more prone to CDH

Question 7

Evaluate a weakness of research into type A and B personalities?

Answer 7

• some research shows type B is associated with greater risk of CDH than type A
• follow up of Rosenburg study found that survivors of heart attacks who were type B’s were more likely to survive than type A’s
• shows relationship between A and B is complex

Question 8

Explain type C personality?

Answer 8

• linked to cancer
• try to be compliant
• patient
• avoid conflict by surprising emotions

Question 9

Explain procedure and findings from research into type C personalities?

Answer 9

Procedure: studied 200 Vietnamese veterans
-75 has cancer (rest were control group)
-measured repression of emotion and symptoms of depression
findings:
-cancer patients reported more symptoms of emotional repression but few were depressive symptoms
-shows people who suppress emotions don’t realise they’re depressed links to C personality

Question 10

Evaluate a weakness in of a type C personality?

Answer 10

• research found link between emotional suppression and type C breast cancer for women under 50
• link seems to change on age and other factors
• loses validity