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Allocation of attention and the Type A coronary-prone behavior pattern.
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
|November 1, 1979
Summary
Individuals with Type A behavior pattern focus attention on primary tasks, neglecting peripheral information. This attentional style may involve suppressing awareness of physical symptoms, potentially impacting heart disease development.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Behavioral Medicine
- Cardiology
Background:
- The Type A coronary-prone behavior pattern is linked to increased risk of coronary artery disease.
- Anecdotal evidence suggests Type A individuals exhibit hyperalertness but neglect irrelevant cues.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the attentional style of individuals with the Type A behavior pattern.
- To determine if Type A individuals suppress attention to task-irrelevant stimuli, including physical symptoms.
Main Methods:
- Three experiments were conducted, utilizing dual-task and single-task paradigms with distracting stimuli.
- Attentional focus was assessed by measuring performance on central and peripheral tasks.
Main Results:
- Type A individuals demonstrated a bias towards central tasks, showing reduced attention to peripheral tasks.
- Type A individuals actively inhibited attention to task-irrelevant peripheral events.
- Findings suggest Type A individuals may suppress attention to physical symptoms, analogous to peripheral distractors.
Conclusions:
- The attentional style of Type A individuals is characterized by focused attention on central tasks and suppression of peripheral information.
- This attentional style, including symptom suppression, may have implications for the pathogenesis of coronary artery disease.