Type A and Type B behaviour patterns, task type and sensitivity to noise

Abstract

SynopsisThe present study examined sensitivity to noise in subjects with Type A and Type B behaviour patterns as a function of the type of task being performed. Twenty Type A and 20 Type B subjects, selected by means of Bortner's scale (French version), were exposed to steadily increasing noise levels (68–110 dBA) while performing two tasks. The first was simple (crossing out) and the second was more complex (memorizing nonsense syllables). There was no difference between the groups on the simple task, but on the more complex task Type A and Type B subjects reacted differently, the former maintaining their level of tolerance while the latter lowered theirs. High investment and the desire to succeed may lead Type A subjects to ignore the acoustic environment and/or to deny the aversive aspects of noise as cognitive strategies for coping with stress.

Biobehavioral Bases of Coronary Heart Disease. Karger Biobehavioral Medicine Series, Volume 2. Edited by T. M. Dembroski, T. H. Schmidt and G. Blümchen. (Pp. 482; illustrated; SFr. 159.00.) S. Karger: Basle. 1983.

“…In women coronary heart disease was predicted by Type ' A ' behaviour, by tension, and by a self-description of being 'easy going'. This latter attribute seems unexpected, but it fits with the finding that Type ' A ' subjects report less fatigue on treadmill testing and are less sensitive to noise interference in work performance (Moch, 1984). Rather than coping with work pressures by diversion from work, Type ' A ' subjects in fact tend to increase their work load.…”

Type A Behavior Pattern and Mortality after Recurrent Myocardial Infarction: Preliminary Results from a Follow-Up Study of 5 Years

“…In fact, if we admit a better prognosis 'quoad vitam' for type A patients after RMI, we must hypothesize the exis tence of some type A features enabling sub jects to cope better with the acute illness. As a matter of fact, the TABP is associated with a higher tendency to underreport the fre quency of symptom/illness experiences, with unrealistically optimistic self-ratings of health status [17][18][19], and is probably char acterized by a cognitive functioning oriented towards a selective attention for positive events, with underestimation of negative events [20], Furthermore, defense mecha nisms as repression and denial were often proposed as typical of either coronary pa tients [21,22] or, especially, subjects with extreme levels of TABP [23]. Thus it seems reasonable to suggest that type A subjects affected by RMI could have a better progno sis because they can adopt coping styles which seem more effective during the course of the illness.…”

Investigating differences in the attention distribution strategies of high and low media multitaskers through a two-dimensional game

“…Particular emphasis has fallen on differences between Type A vs Type B behavioural patterns (Matthews & Brunson, 1979). Findings suggest that Type A individuals tend to focus more intensely on primary tasks than Type B individuals (De la Casa, Gordillo, Mejías, Rengel, & Romero, 1998;Ishizaka, Marshall, & Conte, 2001;Moch, 1984). In addition, De la Casa et al (1998) found that Type A individuals tend to pay attention to stimuli even when not instructed to do so in an attempt to obtain as much information as possible for future use.…”