Type A behavior, self-involvement, autonomic activity, and the traits of neuroticism and extraversion

Classifying Type A and Type B men according to the frequency of self-references used during the behavior pattern interview was useful in identifying Type As who showed elevated resting levels of systolic blood pressure and a degree of cutaneous vasoconstriction than the other subjects. Preliminary findings are presented showing that Type As are higher in neuroticism than Type Bs, and that the highly involved subjects are more extraverted than those less involved. The results demonstrate the value of attempting to identify a subgroup of Type As who are particularly high risk of developing heart disease. Additional speech and interview parameters--length of interview, time spent talking, and rate of speech--are also reported.