Type A personality is characterized by perfectionism, stress, impatience, and inappropriate expressions of anger. It was coined in the 1950s by cardiologists who theorized that people labeled Type A were more likely to suffer from heart attacks. However, modern psychology has dismissed these categories as too generalized. Stress is a risk factor for heart disease, but perfectionism doesn’t always predict heart disease. Human personality is much more complex and cannot be broken down into a few simple types.
Type A personality refers to a personality type characterized by perfectionism, a high degree of stress, impatience, and inappropriate expressions of anger or frustration. At the basis of this type of personality there is a low self-esteem that pushes a person to “make an effort” and to compete. The term was coined in the 1950s by cardiologists, Dr. Meyer Friedman and Dr. Ray Rosenman. They theorized that people labeled Type A were much more likely to suffer from heart attacks. The term quickly entered public usage and became even more commonly known following a book published in 1974 by the two doctors Type A Behavior and Your Heart.
In the 1970s, Rosenman, C. David Jenkins and Stephen Zyzanski developed rapid 15-minute tests to determine personality type A, or the more relaxed type B. These were multiple-choice tests that could be self-administered. Some people did not fit into either category and were classified as AB. Psychology in general has largely dismissed these categories as too generalized, especially as diagnosed by 15-minute tests. Instead, modern psychometric tests tend more often to describe the types of behavior that enable a much wider range of personality traits.
Despite rejecting the Type A personality classification, it is certainly true that people who are under a lot of stress are more likely to suffer from heart disease and are at a higher risk of a heart attack. Stress is not the only factor, but it remains important. People who are rigid perfectionists or exhibit classic Type-A traits often engage in a barrage of self-attacks, as well as criticizing others. Underlying low self-esteem affects not only competitiveness, but self-injurious behaviors can put the mind and body in a constant state of stress.
The classic Type A personality tends to react angrily towards others, which makes it difficult to maintain relationships. No one can live up to Type A standards. This can leave the person suffering from alienation, which only reinforces a core concept that the person is unworthy in some way. In modern psychology and testing, the only aspect of this personality that seems to be a reliable predictor of heart disease is aggression, and most people who would describe themselves as Type A aren’t really.
Some may actually see Type A personality as a good thing, and most connect ideas of perfectionism with high achievement, rather than excessive anger. If a person says, “I’m a Type A,” he usually only describes perfectionist and perhaps inflexible personality traits that keep him successful. Being a perfectionist doesn’t necessarily make someone hostile towards others. A successful or competitive person can be described positively as Type A and can display many wonderful caring qualities.
Studies debunking the Type A personality suggest that perfectionism doesn’t always predict heart disease. In fact, some athletes would describe themselves this way and would surely be strict in maintaining a diet and exercise plan that would keep them well away from the risk of a heart attack. As with many of these early personality tests, new evidence suggests that human personality is much more complex and cannot be broken down into a few simple types. Doing so oversimplifies the human character and makes predictions for disease based on these generalized bad medicine traits.
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