Type A, B and C Personalities (characteristics and how they affect health)
It is possible to distinguish between personality types that make us more prone to disease.
These personality types refer to how people respond to everyday situations, as well as extreme situationssituations, as well as borderline situations, resulting in stress. However, these personality patterns type A, B and C are used to assign individuals with different ways of manifesting thoughts and behaviors.
Personality and stress expression
Friedman and Rosenman, cardiologists, after investigating the relationship between different types of personalities and cardiovascular disease, revealed a direct correlation in coping with stress and stress. a direct correlation in stress coping, personality type and disease..
They conducted several studies. In a first study they were able to differentiate the types of personalities of the patients, highlighting those who waited calmly and those who could not sit for long periods of time and showed restless movements through their arms, hands and legs or feet. These results were not initially accepted by the medical community; the change in this interpretation occurred after the results obtained in their formal investigation as I will explain below.
Following this study, Friedman and Rosemann (1976) named a first behavior as Type A, and indicated that they had a higher risk of disease. indicated that they were at higher risk of heart disease and corresponding high blood pressure compared to the and corresponding high blood pressure compared to Type B,
Friedman and Rosenman conducted a longitudinal study to demonstrate the correlation between personality type and correlation between personality type and incidence of heart disease.. It was published in the Western Collaborative Group Study, in which 3154 healthy men aged 39 to 59 years were studied over eight and a half years.
They completed a questionnaire a questionnaire with questions elaborated by Friedman & Rosenmansuch as:
- Do you feel guilty if you use free time to relax?
- Do you need to gain enjoyment from games and sports?
- Do you move, walk and eat fast?
- Do you often try to do more than one thing at a time?
After obtaining the answers, they concluded and differentiated the exposed behavioral types type A and B.
Both personality patterns were prone to develop coronary heart disease. But after differentiating certain habits such as smoking and certain lifestyles, it could be seen that Type A personality types had almost the same likelihood of developing heart disease as Type B people.
After these data, and after eight years, the results obtained from the participants in 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, B and C personalities like?
After all this we can define the different types of personalities and traits that differentiate not only the behavior but also the repercussion of anxiety in the organism.
Type A
Type A individuals tend to be very self-demanding, competitive and self-critical.. They are great fighters, they are not patient, they strive hard to achieve their goals, and once achieved they are not very satisfied.
They tend to be ambitious, showing a great implication especially at the work level. They tend to be impatient, which in the long run makes them unproductive, after which they try even harder and this turns this behavioral pattern into a vicious circle, manifesting high demands and may even manifest itself in aggressiveness.
On the other hand, a longitudinal study by Ragland and Brand (1988) also found that, as indicated by patients with Friedman's Type A, they were more likely to suffer from coronary heart disease.
Type B
People with Type B behavioral patterns tend to be more emotional, patient, and more reflective, manifesting lower levels of anxiety, greater creative skills and imagination.. They tend not to be competitive.
Type C
In contrast, Type C patterns of behavior tend not to express emotions easily, omitting feelings, especially negative ones, such as anger.They omit feelings, especially negative ones, such as anger. They can be extremely polite, to avoid 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) has focused on hostility. have focused on hostilityarguing that the behavioral type is an important factor leading to coronary heart disease.
Type C personality is characterized by people who tend to omit their feelings and repress their emotions rather than confront and seek solutions. They show greater susceptibility or behaviors or personalities associated with certain pathologies such as Asthma certain pathologies such as asthma, colds or cancer..
Dr. Gianaros, an associate professor in the Clinical and Biological Psychology 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 the physical level. how psychological and social factors impact on the physical level.. In 2017 in the journal the journal Biological Psychiatry, he published a study in this regard.
In his study he used a combination of psychophysiological methods combined with brain imaging to determine neural correlates to cardiovascular stress reactions stressful situations, depression, anger, rage, anger, etc.
In this study, Dr. Gianaros aimed to analyze the neural responses caused by psychological stress and emotional regulation.The results of these studies, and the possible relationship between the levels of preclinical atherosclerosis, heart attacks and strokes are the effect of a progressive deterioration of the blood vessels through the accumulation of plaque in the arteries or atherosclerosis, which over time, reduces blood flow and can lead to serious problems such as stroke and death.
Following these studies and other evidence, it is seen how permanent negative emotions and the risk of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease correlate positively, possibly by increasing the levels of inflammatory chemicals that originate in the body. Today, research is continuing at the University of Pittsburgh, which is studying the relationship of specific neural circuits underlying such development, as well as regulation of negative emotions related to pathologies. such as atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease.
Dr. Gianaros believes that these findings show that the same areas of the brain used to regulate emotions also regulate inflammatory responses, producing greater brain activity in the course of emotion regulation.
Vital attitude counts for 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. a brain- and body-based prevention strategy that will and body-based prevention strategy that will improve long-term psychological and physical well-being.
It would be interesting to keep these studies not only in the behavioral pattern of type A, but also in type B and C.
And remember, you are the creator of your mind!
(Updated at Apr 14 / 2024)