Skip to main content

Personality, type A behavior, and coronary heart disease: the role of emotional expression.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Friedman, HS; Booth-Kewley, S
Published in: J Pers Soc Psychol
October 1987

The nature of the relation between personality factors and coronary heart disease (CHD, the nation's greatest killer) is one of the most important if controversial issues in the field of psychology and health. Although there is still a great deal of conceptual confusion, progress is being made in refining the key components of a predisposition to heart disease. In this article we examine the construct of a coronary-prone personality in the context of the relations among personality, emotional expression, and disease. Special consideration is given to mode of measurement of the Type A behavior pattern--Structural Interview (SI) versus Jenkins Activity Survey (JAS)--and to components and non-Type A correlates of the general coronary-prone construct. Fifty middle-aged men who had had a myocardial infarction were compared with 50 healthy controls in terms of relevant aspects of their psychological functioning. Results indicate that the SI is better than the JAS as a predictor of coronary heart disease (CHD) because of its attention to emotional expressive style. Traditional emphases on hurry sickness in coronary proneness are deemed wholly inadequate. Furthermore, the results indicate that depression, anxiety, or both may relate to CHD independently of and in addition to Type A behavior. Other aspects of personality and social support are also discussed in the context of improving the construct of coronary proneness.

Duke Scholars

Altmetric Attention Stats
Dimensions Citation Stats

Published In

J Pers Soc Psychol

DOI

ISSN

0022-3514

Publication Date

October 1987

Volume

53

Issue

4

Start / End Page

783 / 792

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Type A Personality
  • Social Support
  • Social Psychology
  • Self Concept
  • Risk Factors
  • Personality Tests
  • Middle Aged
  • Male
  • Life Change Events
  • Humans
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Friedman, H. S., & Booth-Kewley, S. (1987). Personality, type A behavior, and coronary heart disease: the role of emotional expression. J Pers Soc Psychol, 53(4), 783–792. https://doi.org/10.1037//0022-3514.53.4.783
Friedman, H. S., and S. Booth-Kewley. “Personality, type A behavior, and coronary heart disease: the role of emotional expression.J Pers Soc Psychol 53, no. 4 (October 1987): 783–92. https://doi.org/10.1037//0022-3514.53.4.783.
Friedman HS, Booth-Kewley S. Personality, type A behavior, and coronary heart disease: the role of emotional expression. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1987 Oct;53(4):783–92.
Friedman, H. S., and S. Booth-Kewley. “Personality, type A behavior, and coronary heart disease: the role of emotional expression.J Pers Soc Psychol, vol. 53, no. 4, Oct. 1987, pp. 783–92. Pubmed, doi:10.1037//0022-3514.53.4.783.
Friedman HS, Booth-Kewley S. Personality, type A behavior, and coronary heart disease: the role of emotional expression. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1987 Oct;53(4):783–792.

Published In

J Pers Soc Psychol

DOI

ISSN

0022-3514

Publication Date

October 1987

Volume

53

Issue

4

Start / End Page

783 / 792

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Type A Personality
  • Social Support
  • Social Psychology
  • Self Concept
  • Risk Factors
  • Personality Tests
  • Middle Aged
  • Male
  • Life Change Events
  • Humans