Does Type A Behavior Exist - Assignment Example

? Type A Behavior Does Type A Behavior Exist? Introduction Background psychological literatureIn the behavioral psychology the research has been made in the issue that stress is the cause of several cardiovascular diseases such as pulse rising, heart attack or heart failure. The contemporary assessors have asserted that Type A behavior is one form of psychological stress that creates hypertension in the person’s normal life setting (Coon & Mitterer, 2010). This extends further to cardiovascular problems as if the stress behavior prevails and continues with the person for a longer period of time. It has also been asserted that subjects carrying the Type A behavior are hyperactive in their daily tasks. They are more aggressive, impatient, and competitive than Type B, if assigned with complicated or difficult tasks. Actually, Type As are ambitious or over ambitious than Type B in the psychological understanding. Looking forward to the Type A behavior, which is a cause of abnormalities (high impulse, aggression, hypertension), the researchers have tried to understand this behavior in the holistic manner. Comprehensive studies have been brought to understand of how Type A behavior affects a person’s life carrying it as a condition of psychological tension. Relevant research discussed (Empirical Evidence) The contemporary literature depicts that people with Type A behavior are undergone with both mental and physical health problems. Rosenman (1975) along with continued investigators assert that Type A behavior leads to catecholamine, cholesterol and high blood pressure (Gregory, 2004, p.515). It is the environmental challenge and demand that results in larger reactions of the Type A people. On further, the empirical studies detail that ischemic heart disease in which there is low supply of blood to heart is caused by the Type A stress behavior. The study by David (2011) claims that persons with Type A are sensitive and they are partially instable than Type B when brought to life’s challenging situations (David, 2011). The study assessed the behavior of industrial employees working in an equivalent stress environment. It found that Type A employees are more emotionally strained than Type B who are calmed and relaxed at the time of work (David, 2011). The quantitative research by Chesney and Rosenman (1981) depicted that psychological behaviors of aggression, extroversion, or high impulsiveness are associated to Type A behavior which is the cause of all such behaviors (Chesney & Rosenman, 1981). Similarly, a meta-analysis review by Hinshaw (1987) associated anxiety, anger, depression and hostility to Type A behavior respectively (Hinshaw, 1987). Friedman and Rosenman (1974) categorized the 3000 healthy men in two groups; Type A and Type B. The investigators who were the starters of the research in the continuum of Type A depicted that Type A persons are vulnerable to stress, as where Type B are more easy going and relaxed people (Plotnik & Kouyoumdjian, 2010, p.496). The investigators’ study found that out of 3000 healthy men 257 died due to stress and CHA (Coronary Heart Disease) and they were specifically from the Type A group which associated to such stress function. This research by Friedman and Rosenman became the basis of research for behavioral specialists analyzing the continuum of Type A and its effects (Meyer & Rosenman, 1974). Background linked to the aims with reasons & some detail of method The literature analyzed so far has unfolded the fact that Type A persons are vulnerable to stress. They easily get stressed when brought to life’s challenging experience i.e. a critical task or an assessment. In the behavioral research it is asserted that there is a significant difference between Type A and Type B adaptations, actions and performances. Type As are aggressive, explosive and indulgent to stress as compare to Type B who are calmed and creative to complete their task or objective. This report is an investigation on how Type A behavior is different from Type B at the time of performing a critical task or operation. The aim of the investigation is to bring a comparative analysis of Type A and Type B behaviors. The investigation will be based on the empirical evidence collected in the continuum of Type A and also on the assertions brought by Friedman and Rosenman (1974) research. The core objective of the investigation is to comprehend Type A behavior in comparison to Type B behavior, in order to unfold the impacts of the behavior if it exists or present. Research Question to Investigate Does type A behavior actually exists? Experimental / alternative hypothesis H1: Type A persons have significantly high pulse rates when performing a difficult task like a dot to do puzzle. H2: Type B persons have significantly moderate pulse rates when performing a difficult task. Method Design The design of the study is based on observational experiment. It is an independent subject design experiment to assess and compare the difference between Type A and Type B behaviors. The difference is to be measured in terms of Pulse rate which is a significant independent variable to clear the mean difference value. The higher the score of pulse rate, the higher the probability that an individual is carrying Type A behavior. The pulse rate is recorded at the time when participants/individuals are performing a complex task of dot-to-dot puzzle. They are given this task to bring out their actual internal self-behaviors. Participants There are respective 13 participants selected for this quantitative assessment. Each participant is carrying an independent behavior with respect to the behaviors the other participants are carrying. The dot to dot puzzle task will clear out that how many individuals are Type A and how much of them contain the calming Type B behavior. The sample population of 13 participants is selected on the random basis. Random sampling method is using to finalize the sample population (Coolican, 2013). Materials The starting material for the study is the Friedman and Rosenman personality questionnaire, which is based on the diagnostic tool of dot-to-dot puzzle. Participants are analyzed on the basis of this puzzle. Each participant is given this puzzle task and got observed for the change of their pulse rates. The pulse rate before, after and during the time of the task for each individual is recorded. This observational data came out as the primary source of analysis as it identified and separated the Type A individuals from the Type B. Individuals with scores higher than 78 were considered as Type A individuals while the rest were categorized as Type B. The observer used a stop watch to record the pulse rate at every five seconds. All participants are treated on equivalent skill level as they are assessed on a similar task operation (Carter, 2009). Procedure The investigator on the study is an analyzer of the continuum of the Type A behavior. The objective of the investigator is to determine that how Type A individuals are separate from Type B, while a significant complex task. The assessment made on participants will actually determine and clear out this difference. Hence, the role of participants in this study is quite important (Roberts & Ilardi, 2008). Results Type A personality Participant number Personality score PR1 PR2 PR3 1 102 76 84 80 2 96 76 88 76 3 115 92 104 100 4 126 92 92 80 5 98 64 80 76 6 102 72 72 68 7 94 72 76 64 Type B personality Participant number Personality score PR1 PR2 PR3 1 76 76 68 72 2 70 80 72 76 3 74 84 88 72 4 68 82 76 74 5 76 76 70 74 6 74 80 74 76 The above data presented includes the observation of the two personality types; Type A and Type B. The data includes personality scores of each of the personality type and the pulse rates with respect to the dot-to-dot puzzle task assigned to each participant. The participants with personality scores more than 78 are included in the Type A while the remaining are categorized as Type B. PR1 indicates pulse rate before the task, PR2 the pulse rate during the task and PR3 indicates the pulse rate after the task has been completed. Personality Type PR1 PR2 PR3 1 76 84 80 1 76 88 76 1 92 104 100 1 92 92 80 1 64 80 76 1 72 72 68 1 72 76 64 2 76 68 72 2 80 72 76 2 84 88 72 2 82 76 74 2 76 70 74 2 80 74 76 The above table is the combined summary of the data of two of the personality types. It is indicating that PR2 is the focus of assessment as it is the pulse rate recorded when individuals were busy in performing the task. Type A personality Participant number Personality score 1 102 2 96 3 115 4 126 5 98 6 102 7 94 Type A Personality (PR2) Type B Personality (PR2) Total 7 6 N 13 Mean 85.142 74.666 Median 84 73 Mode N/A N/A Range 32 20 SD 10.7614 7.11805 Independent Samples Test Levene's Test for Equality of Variances t-test for Equality of Means F Sig. t df PR1 Equal variances assumed 5.370 .041 -.434 11 Equal variances not assumed -.465 7.261 PR2 Equal variances assumed 1.126 .311 2.028 11 Equal variances not assumed 2.096 10.428 PR3 Equal variances assumed 3.676 .082 .777 11 Equal variances not assumed .842 6.337 The above table represents the significance of the mean difference between personality Type A and Type B respectively. The difference is calculated is of the PR2, which is the pulse rate during rate the task. The two-tailed P value .311 which is higher than 0.05 indicates that the difference between the PR2 means of the two personality types is not significant. Statistically it can be said that both personality type A and B individuals contained similar pulse rates whole solving a dot-to-dot puzzle. From this result it can be said that a large sample size would be needed to have a significant difference between pulse rates of personality type A and B respectively. To note the difference between two of the personality types (Type A and Type B), T-test has been applied in the study. T-test, which indicates the probability of two sets of values for being different gives the measure of how significantly the values are different. T-test brought on the PR2 values of both personality types signified that there is no such significant difference between Type A and Type B, as far as the pulse rate during the task is concerned. The pie chart indicates that majority of the population while performing the task remained in the moderate pulse level, which is 69-77. The remaining 54% population contained higher pulse levels. Discussion of Results The results statistically assert that there is no such difference in type A and type B pulse rates while performing a critical task like a dot-to-dot puzzle. This rejects the study’s hypothesis that type A persons have higher pulse rates than type B at the time of a critical task or operation. There could be a point of error in this finding because the sample size was too small to get the hypothesis rejected. A larger sample set is needed to accept or reject the derived hypothesis because only this can clear out the difference between Type A PR2 and Type B PR2 or appear significant. As observations depicted the moderate pulse levels of Type B individuals, accepts the hypothesis 1 that type B persons have modern pulse levels during the time of the task. The graphs depict that the trend of type A is almost similar to type B, which is that both personality types show a slight change of pulse when given a challenging task i.e. dot to dot puzzle. Overall, the personality scores of Type A individuals are found higher than Type B, which clears out that Type A and Type B behaviors are significantly different. From this finding it can be said that Type A individuals are instinctively different from Type B, no matter if there pulse levels are same at some point of time. The personality scores further depict that Type A individuals are in a rush, get over conscious, or over impulsive for completing a task. However, Type Bs are relaxed, calmed and easy going in their daily lives or at the time of completing a challenging task. This difference of performance, thought and action between two of the personality types (A and B) can be evident from the personality score findings. Hence, the findings of the study are in-conformity with the past literature and empirical evidences asserted in the study. It is in concordance to what Friedman and Rosenman had described in the continuum of Type A. Conclusion & Recommendations The personality score findings of the study tell that Type A behavior can be similar to Type B at some point of time, but instinctively both behaviors are completely different. Type As are compulsive, aggressive and impulsive as shown in the literature while Type Bs are contented and peaceful personalities as depicted in the empirical studies. The experimentation brought in the study did not show the major difference between two of the personality types as their pulse rates were similar when they were brought to dot-to-dot puzzle task. However, if sample size was kept larger the difference between two of the personalities could be clear and significant. Conclusively, the answer to the study’s research question would be that Type A behavior does exist. It exists in the form of impulsiveness, compulsion and aggression differentiating it from the Type B existence. By means of large sample population, the clarity of difference between Type A and Type B behaviors can be found out. Appendix T-Test Notes Group Statistics Personality Type N Mean Std. Deviation Std. Error Mean PR1 1 7 77.71 10.547 3.986 2 6 79.67 3.204 1.308 PR2 1 7 85.14 10.761 4.067 2 6 74.67 7.118 2.906 PR3 1 7 77.71 11.514 4.352 2 6 74.00 1.789 .730 Independent Samples Test Levene's Test for Equality of Variances t-test for Equality of Means F Sig. t df PR1 Equal variances assumed 5.370 .041 -.434 11 Equal variances not assumed -.465 7.261 PR2 Equal variances assumed 1.126 .311 2.028 11 Equal variances not assumed 2.096 10.428 PR3 Equal variances assumed 3.676 .082 .777 11 Equal variances not assumed .842 6.337 Independent Samples Test t-test for Equality of Means Sig. (2-tailed) Mean Difference Std. Error Difference PR1 Equal variances assumed .673 -1.952 4.497 Equal variances not assumed .655 -1.952 4.196 PR2 Equal variances assumed .067 10.476 5.165 Equal variances not assumed .061 10.476 4.999 PR3 Equal variances assumed .453 3.714 4.778 Equal variances not assumed .431 3.714 4.413 Independent Samples Test t-test for Equality of Means 95% Confidence Interval of the Difference Lower Upper PR1 Equal variances assumed -11.851 7.946 Equal variances not assumed -11.801 7.897 PR2 Equal variances assumed -.893 21.845 Equal variances not assumed -.600 21.553 PR3 Equal variances assumed -6.803 14.231 Equal variances not assumed -6.946 14.374 List of References Carter, D., 2009. Quantitative Psychological Research: The Complete Student's Companion. New York: Psychology Press. Chesney, M.A. & Rosenman, R.H., 1981. Psychological correlates of the Type A behavior pattern. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 4(2), pp.217-29. Coolican, H., 2013. Research Methods and Statistics in Psychology. London: Routledge. Coon, D. & Mitterer, J.O., 2010. Introduction to Psychology: Gateways to Mind and Behavior: Gateways to Mind and Behavior. Cengage Learning. David, J., 2011. Type A/B Behaviour Pattern. Research Report. Geneva: International Labor Organization. Gregory, R., 2004. Psychological Testing: History, Principles, And Applications. New Delhi: Pearson Education India. Hinshaw, S.P., 1987. Psychological predictors of heart disease: A quantitative review. Psychological Bulletin, 101(3), pp.343-63. Meyer, F. & Rosenman, R.H., 1974. Health Risks Due to Personality Types: Friedman and Rosenman. [Online] Viewed at: [Accessed 25 October 2013]. Plotnik, R. & Kouyoumdjian, H., 2010. Introduction to Psychology. New York: Cengage Learning. Roberts, M. & Ilardi, S.S., 2008. Handbook of Research Methods in Clinical Psychology. London: John Wiley & Sons. Read More