Personality Factors for Stress

Question 1

Who researched the Type A personality and when?

Answer 1

Friedman and Rosenman 1959

Question 2

The Type A behaviour Pattern revolves around 3 principle factors (C.A.T) , using them as prompts describe the Type A personality

Answer 2

Competitive

• Always playing to win at games and work
• Achievement measured as material productivity

Anger

• Self-critical
• Hostile to the outside world
• Anger often directed inwards

Time pressure

• Working against the clock
• Doing several things at once
• Irritation and impatience with others
• Unhappy doing nothing

Question 3

Type A personality - explain Kirkaldy et al’s 2002 research and what it shows

Answer 3

Kirkaldy et al. 2002→
Study of over 300 German managers with Type A behaviour with an external locus of control (likely to believe in bad luck and fate) and they had higher perceived stress levels than those of a group of managers with Type B personality and an internal focus of control (they believed they were in charge of their own situation.)
← What does this show?
This research appears to show that the negative health consequences of Type A behaviour, combined with an external locus of control, may outweigh the superficial attractiveness of Type A in a work setting.

Question 4

Type A personality - explain the Williams et al (2003) study

Answer 4

15 year study that focussed on younger individuals who exhibited Type A personality.
They found that certain aspects of Type A behaviour were unhealthier than others: with hostility and impatience putting individuals at an increased risk of developing high blood pressure- a major precursor to heart attacks.

Question 5

Who conducted the Key study into the potential link between Type A personality and CHD?

Answer 5

Friedman and Rosenman (1974)

Question 6

What was the Friedman and Rosenman (1974) ‘Western Collaborative Group’ study investigating?

Answer 6

Potential links between the Type A behaviour pattern and cardiovascular (heart) disease

Question 7

What was the procedure of the Friedman and Rosenman (1974) ‘Western Collaborative Group’ study?

Answer 7

Using structured interviews, 3200 Californian men, aged between 39 and 59, were categorized as either Type A, Type X (a balance of type A and B), or Type B.
– This large sample was followed up for eight and a half years to assess their lifestyles and health outcomes

Question 8

What were the findings of the Friedman and Rosenman (1974) ‘Western Collaborative Group’ study?

Answer 8

By the end of the study 257 (/3200) of the men had developed Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) of which 70% were from the Type A group – twice the rate of the heart disease found in the Type B group
– This difference in the incidence of CHD between the two groups was independent on lifestyle factors such as smoking and obesity that are known to increase the chances of heart disease

Question 9

In the Friedman and Rosenman (1974) ‘Western Collaborative Group’ study what were the statistics of

heart attacks
recurring heart attacks
& fatal heart attacks

For personality types A&B?

Answer 9

Type A Type B
Heart attacks 12.8% 6%

Recurring
Heart attacks 2.6% 0.8%

Fatal Heart
attacks 2.7% 1.1%

Question 10

How many Californian men were used in the Friedman and Rosenman (1974) ‘Western Collaborative Group’ study? How old were they?

Answer 10

3200

between 39 and 59

Question 11

What conclusions can be drawn from the Friedman and Rosenman (1974) ‘Western Collaborative Group’ study

Answer 11

The Type A behaviour pattern increases vulnerability to heart disease
– Behaviour modification programmes to reduce Type A behaviour should result in a reduced risk of heart disease

Question 12

Evaluate the Friedman and Rosenman (1974) ‘Western Collaborative Group’ study

Answer 12

Although some aspects of lifestyles were controlled for, there may have been other variables that could have affected vulnerability to heart disease, such as elements of hardiness (the hardy personality)
– This was not an experimental study, so cause and effect cannot be assumed; other studies have
failed to show a relationship between Type A behaviour patterns and heart disease

Question 13

Whose research can be used to contradict the findings of the Friedman and Rosenman (1974) ‘Western Collaborative Group’ study?

Answer 13

Ragland and Brand (1988)

Question 14

What research can be used to contradict the findings of the Friedman and Rosenman (1974) ‘Western Collaborative Group’ study?

Answer 14

Ragland and Brand (1988) carried out a follow up study of the Western Collaborative Group Participants in 1982-1983, 22 years after the start of the study.
Results – They found that 214 (approx. 15% of the men) had died of CHD
This study confirmed the importance of CHD risk factors (e.g. age, smoking, high blood pressure) but found little evidence of a relationship between Type A behaviours and mortality, thus challenging the earlier conclusions that Type A personality was a significant risk factor of CHD mortality.

Question 15

In the Ragland and Brand 1988 study, what percentage of the participants had subsequently dies of CHD

Answer 15

15%

Question 16

What is significant about Ragland and Brand’s 1988 findings

Answer 16

This study confirmed the importance of CHD risk factors (e.g. age, smoking, high blood pressure) but found little evidence of a relationship between Type A behaviours and mortality, thus challenging the earlier conclusions that Type A personality was a significant risk factor of CHD mortality.

Question 17

What is Type B behaviour?

Answer 17

The absence of Type A behaviour’ Friedman and Rosenman: People in this category were more relaxed and had a more positive outlook on life. Therefore they had lower levels of stress and a lower associated incidence of Coronary Heart Diseases.

Question 18

What is Type AB behaviour?

Answer 18

Unclassified individuals who possess aspects of both personalities, creating ambiguity, so they cannot be classified in either category

Question 19

What is Type X personality?

Answer 19

Balance of types A and B

Question 20

What is ‘Hardiness’

Answer 20

Although Type A behaviour is claimed to be at risk of CHD, many type A individuals appear resistant to Heart Disease. Kobasa and Maddi (1977) suggested that some people are more ‘pschologically hardy’ than others

Question 21

Who suggested the Hardy Personality and when?

Answer 21

Kobasa and Maddi (1977

Question 22

The hardy personality includes a range of characteristics which, if present, provide defences against the negative effects of stress. These characteristics are: ?

Answer 22

1. Control – Hardy people see themselves as being in control of their lives
2. Commitment – Hardy people are involved with the world around them and have a strong sense of purpose
3. Challenge – Hardy people see life’s challenges as problems to be overcome rather than as threats. They enjoy change as an opportunity for development

Question 23

Elaborate on the three factors of a hardy personality:

Answer 23

Commitment – devotion to jobs, families and other valued activities, sense of purpose, the world is seen as something to engage with, rather than to stand apart from
Control – the belief that you can influence what happens in your life, rather than attributing control to outside influences
Challenge – Life changes are seen as challenges to overcome (opportunities) as opposed to threats or stressors. Those who possess a challenge orientation do not seek comfort and security as their main goals, but rather they do look for change and growth.

Question 24

Evaluate the Hardy personality using Kobasa’s 1979 research

Answer 24

Kobasa 1979: Studied approx. 800 business executives, assessing their stress using Holmes and Rahe’s SRRS.
>Approx. 150 of the participants were classified as high stress according to their SRRS scores. Of these, some had a low illness record.
>This suggests that something else was causing their stress because individuals experiencing the same stress levels had different (higher) illness records.
>Kobasa proposed that a hardy personality type encourages resilience.
>The Individuals in the high stress/low illness group scored high on all three characteristics of the hardy personality (COMMITMENT, CHALLENGE, CONTROL)