Type A Behavior Pattern and Stress Responses

The Type A behavior pattern is recognized to be one of the risk factors for coronary heart disease. This article discusses the relationships between the Type A behavior pattern and those psychological and physiological responses to stress which contribute to the occurrence of coronary heart disease. Type A persons suffer from lower self-esteem and fears about the loss of self-esteem that result from the belief that their values can be easily changed by various kinds of external factors. Further, a lack of confidence in social relationships, along with parental attitudes that emphasize achievement striving, may contribute to this pattern. Type A persons tend to overestimate the stressfulness of difficult situations and to perceive them more critically than do Type B persons. Type A's bring a more active coping style to stressful situations than do Type B's. Compared with Type B persons, Type A's showed higher sympathetic activities on physiological measures, higher neuroendocrinological responses and greater psychological stress reactions. Continuous excitation in the sympathetic nervous system contributes to disorders of the circulatory and neuroendocrinological systems which, then, contribute to the occurrence of coronary heart disease.<br>Based on the relationships between the decrease of peripheral beta adrenergic activity and decrease of the intensity of Type A behavior pattern, it is suggested that peripheral physiological activity may play a role in maintaining the Type A behavior pattern. The relationship between central dopaminergic functioning and answers on the Jenkins Activity Survey suggest the existence of alexithymic features in the Type A behavior pattern.<br>The relationship between peoples' separation experiences from their parent(s) and dysfunction of central dopaminergic function is also described. This article indicates that both psychoneuroendocrinological and psychosocial studies are necessary to fully understand the nature of the Type A behavior pattern.