The relationship of stress, type A behavior and powerlessness to physiological responses in female clerical workers

The present study examined the relationship of stress levels, Type A behavior, and feelings of powerlessness to physiological reactivity in a group of adult women employed as secretaries. Reactivity was assessed by monitoring blood pressure, heart rate and frontalis EMG while subjects engaged in a series of tasks: rest, mental arithmetic, vigilance, a structured interview and a work interview. When Type A behavior was assessed by a structured interview, Type A's had higher overall levels of systolic and diastolic blood pressure, a tendency toward greater EMG reactivity, and high stress Type A's had higher heart rates than low stress Type A's. When Type A was assessed by a questionnaire, Type A interacted with stress levels and lack of control such that high stress, high powerlessness Type A's had higher overall levels of systolic and diastolic blood pressure and high powerlessness Type A's had higher levels of heart rate than high powerlessness Type B's. While reactivity was not related to Type A behavior, it was related to stress levels. Women with high levels of background stress responded with larger increases in systolic blood pressure and a tendency toward larger increases in heart rate. This research emphasizes the importance of examining multiple factors, especially when relating individual differences in risk to psychophysiological reactivity.