Type A, B And C Personalities (characteristics And How They Affect Health)
These personality types refer to how people respond to everyday situations, as well as extreme situations, resulting in stress. However, these type A, B and C personality patterns are used to assign individuals with different ways of expressing thoughts and behaviors.
Friedman and Rosenman, cardiologists, after investigating the relationship between different types of personalities and cardiovascular diseases, revealed a direct correlation in coping with stress, personality type and illness
They carried out different studies. In a first study, they were able to differentiate the personality types of the patients, highlighting those who waited calmly and those who could not sit for long and showed restless movements through their arms, hands, legs or feet. These results were not initially accepted by the medical community; The change in said interpretation occurred after the results obtained in their formal investigation as I explain below.
After this study, Friedman and Rosemann (1976) called a first behavior Type A, and indicated that they had a higher risk of heart disease and corresponding high blood pressure compared to Type B,
Friedman and Rosenman conducted a longitudinal study to demonstrate the correlation between personality type and incidence of heart disease It was published in the Western Collaborative Group Study, in which 3,154 healthy men between 39 and 59 years old were studied over eight and a half years.
They completed a questionnaire with questions developed by Friedman & Rosenman: such as:
After obtaining the answers, they concluded and differentiated the types of exposed behaviors type A and B.
Both personality patterns were prone to developing coronary heart disease But after differentiating certain habits such as smoking and certain lifestyles, it was possible to see how Type A personality people had practically the same risk of developing heart disease as Type B people.
After these data, and after eight years, the results obtained from the members of the study were that 257 of them had developed coronary heart disease. The final result was decisive, since 70% of the men who had developed coronary heart disease were type A personalities.
What are type A, BYC personalities like?
After all this, we can define the different types of personalities and traits that differentiate not only behavior but also the impact of anxiety on the body.
Type A
Type A individuals They tend to be very self-demanding, competitive and self-critical They are great fighters, they are not patient, they work hard to achieve their goals, and once they have achieved they do not give them great satisfaction.
They tend to be ambitious, showing great involvement, especially at the work level. They tend to be impatient, which in the long term makes them unproductive. After the latter, they try even harder and this turns this pattern of behavior into a vicious circle, manifesting great demands and may even manifest in aggression.
On the other hand, a longitudinal study by Ragland and Brand (1988) also found that, as indicated by patients with Friedman Type A, they were more likely to suffer from coronary heart disease.
Type B
People with a Type B behavioral pattern tend to be more emotional, patient and more reflective, showing lower anxiety levels, greater creative abilities and imagination They are not usually competitive.
On the other hand, the behavior patterns of Type C They do not usually express emotions easily, omitting feelings, especially negative ones, such as anger. They can be extremely kind, avoiding conflicts, prevailing compliance with social rules and patience.
The incidence of coronary heart disease
The main problem with type A and type B is the diagnosis of coronary heart disease. Some research (e.g. Johnston, 1993) They have focused on hostility arguing that the type of behavior is an important factor leading to coronary heart disease.
The type C personality is characterized by people who tend to omit their feelings and repress their emotions instead of confronting and seeking solutions. Manifesting greater susceptibility or behaviors or personalities associated with certain pathologies such as asthma, colds or cancer
Dr. Gianaros, an associate professor in the Clinical and Biological and Health Psychology programs in the Department of Psychology at the University of Pittsburgh, researches the mind-body connection and How psychological and social factors impact on a physical level In 2017, the journal Biológica PsiquiatrÃa published a study in this regard.
In his study he used a combination of psychophysiological methods combined with brain imaging to determine the neural correlations to cardiovascular stress reactions in stressful situations, depression, anger, rage, etc.
In this study, Dr. Gianaros aimed to analyze the neuronal responses caused by psychological stress and emotional regulation and establish the possible relationship of the levels of preclinical atherosclerosis, heart attacks and strokes are the effect of a progressive deterioration to the blood vessels through the accumulation of plaque in the arteries or atherosclerosis, which after the At the same time, it reduces blood flow, which can cause serious problems such as stroke and death.
After these studies and other evidence, it is seen how permanent negative emotions and the risk of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases correlate positively, possibly by increasing the levels of inflammatory chemicals that originate in the organism. Today, research continues at the University of Pittsburgh, which studies the relationship of the specific neuronal circuits that underlie said development, as well as the regulation of negative emotions related to pathologies such as atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases.
Dr. Gianaros believes that these discoveries show that the same areas of the brain used to regulate emotions also regulate inflammatory responses, producing greater brain activity in the process of regulating emotions.
Life attitude counts a lot
Optimism, laughter, mindfulness and relaxation techniques, and meditation, rich social connections, and stress coping strategies can help reduce the risk of heart disease as well as other pathologies.
Daily practices of laughter, mindful meditation, equanimity, and maintaining strong social connections can be part of a brain-based prevention strategy and the body that will improve long-term psychological and physical well-being.
It would be interesting to maintain these studies not only in the behavioral pattern of type A, but also in types B and C.
