Describe someone who is Type A, Type B, and Type D. How has our view of Type A changed since the 1970s?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

1970s: Type A Behavior—Impatient, Hostile, Workaholic
Type A behavior referred to a combination of personality traits that included an overly competitive and aggressive drive to achieve, a hostile attitude when frustrated, a habitual sense of time urgency, a rapid and explosive pattern of speaking, and being a workaholic.

1980s–1990s: Type A Behavior—Depressed, Angry
In the 1980s, research did not support the association between coronary disease and being impatient or a workaholic; those traits were then dropped from the new definition of Type A behavior.
Type A behavior was defined in the 1980s as being depressed, easily frustrated, anxious, and angry, or some combination of these traits.
The 1990s definition of Type A behavior specifies an individual who feels angry and hostile much of the time but may or may not express these emotions publicly.

2000s: Type D Behavior—Chronic Distress: Negative Affectivity, Social Inhibition
Type D behavior is defined as chronic distress in terms of two emotional states: negative affectivity (such as worry, irritability or gloom) and social inhibition (such as being shy and reserved, or lacking self-assurance).
People with Type D behavior tend to experience negative emotions and inhibit self-expression in social interactions. Their chronic distress and lack of strong social support help explain why they are at an increased risk for various health problems.