Type A behavior pattern : relationship to personality and psychopathology

Abstract

Controversy exists around whether the Jenkins Activity Survey (JAS), a questionnaire measuring the Type A coronary-prone behavior pattern, correlates with measures of pathology. The present study investigated this question by administering the JAS (form T) and the MMPI (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory) to 2 samples of University students, summer and fall. Experiment 1 served as a pilot study with the administration of Form R of the MMPI (399 items) and the JAS with a group of summer students. Although some significant correlations were obtained, the results of Experiment 1 indicate that traditional measures of psychopathology are generally unrelated to the JAS. A more rigorous examination of the relationship between the MMPI and the JAS was sought in the second experiment using the long form of the MMPI (566 items) and a much larger sample size. Contrary to Experiment 1, the results of Experiment 2 indicate a strong relationship between the Speed and Impatience subscale of the JAS and psychopathology, particularly for females. In addition, the large number of significant correlations and the large number of Type A's evidencing elevated MMPI scales (T-scores >70), suggests that the Type A behavior pattern may be associated with psychopathology.