Abstract
Forty-one health professional students were videotaped during three consecutive conditions: a 5-min wait for a tardy interviewer, the structured interview for determining the Type A behavior pattern, and a 5-min relaxation period. Afterward, subjects were classified as Type A or B based on audiotapes of the interview. The total amount of activity and the frequency or duration of Type A behaviors were compared between Type A and Type B subjects. In all three experimental conditions, Type A subjects moved their arms more than Type B subjects. During both the waiting and the relaxation periods, Type A subjects sat still less and spent more time exploring than did Type B subjects. During the interview, Type A subjects gestured more frequently than Type B subjects. Nonverbal behaviors correctly identified behavior pattern in 71% of the subjects. The addition of nonverbal behaviors improved the discrimination of behavior pattern above that obtained from verbal behavior alone. The greater activity, restlessness, exploratory behavior, and gestures of Type A persons are consistent with the two major etiologies proposed for the Type A behavior pattern.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 279-289 |
Number of pages | 11 |
Journal | Journal of Behavioral Medicine |
Volume | 6 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Sep 1983 |
Keywords
- Type A behavior
- activity level
- etiology
- nonverbal communication