| dc.description.abstract | The purpose of this study was twofold: to examine
the effects of task difficulty and the Type A Behavior
Pattern on the inverted-U relationship between stress level
(arousal) and performance, and to examine possible Type
A/B differences in response to competition.
A 2 X 2 factorial design was used in this study. The
two factors were the type of task (simple or complex) and
the behavior pattern of the subject (Type A or Type B)*
Subjects were 60 males from introductory psychology classes
at Lakehead University. Three male confederates were employed
to act as competitors against experimental subjects. Subjects
practiced either a simple (digit letter) task or a complex
(colour letter) task for seven trials, and then competed against
a confederate on the eighth trial.
Tonic heart rate was recorded throughout the study as
a physiological measure of stress, pleasantness ratings were
obtained as a cognitive, evaluative measure of stress, and
performance on the task was recorded as a behavioral measure
of stress. | |
