Interviewer style, type A behavior, and cardiovascular response

The present study assessed whether Type A ratings obtained through different styles of administering the structured interview (SI) differed in their relation to cardiovascular reactivity and questionnaire measures of Type A. Seventy-four male subjects were administered the SI in either a fast, interruptive style or a slower, less disruptive style. Subjects' blood pressure and pulse rate responses to a mirror-tracing and a memory-for-digits task were measured, and subjects also completed the Framingham Type A Scale (FTAS) and the Jenkins Activity Survey (JAS). Increases in diastolic blood pressure in response to the tasks and scores from the FTAS were positively related to Type A ratings obtained from slower interviews; they tended to be negatively related to Type A ratings obtained from fast, interruptive interviews. These results support the notion that style of administering the SI may influence prediction by Type A ratings of cardiovascular end-points, including CHD.