Communication and type A coronary-prone behavior: preliminary studies of expressive and instrumental communication

This paper reports two studies of the expressive and instrumental characteristics of communication associated with the Type A coronary-prone behavior pattern. Using Norton's communicators' style instrument to measure expressive behavior of college students, Study 1 with 50 men and 79 women showed that Type A persons are more dominant, contentious, precise, animated, and dramatic communicators than Type B persons. Study 2 with 48 men and 80 women yielded no differences in the use of persuasive strategies by Type A and Type B college undergraduates.