General Interest: Type A and Type B Personalities - Useful Measure of Personality or Conspiracy Funded by Tobacco Companies?

General Interest: Type A and Type B Personalities - Useful Measure of Personality or Conspiracy Funded by Tobacco Companies?
By: Adam Sinicki
Submitted by: Dan Brown, Emory School of Medicine

Continuing our exploration of medical and/or psychological terms that are frequently misused or misapplied, this article discusses the history of Type A and Type B personality theory. People often refer to themselves or others as “Type A” personalities, but “Type B” is much rarer in conversation. Sinicki, a writer who holds a bachelor’s psychology degree, breaks down the theory and explores its roots as an attempt to identify people who live at a higher stress level, and who are therefore more likely to suffer cardiac disease. The founders of the theory, Drs. Meyer Friedman and Ray Rosenman, were cardiologists not psychologists, and their study has been criticized for decades, partially due to its connection to the tobacco industry.

Given the historical context, it’s surprising that “Type A,” with its connection to heart disease and high stress levels, is used as a boast for some, while “Type B” feels like it could be insulting. Read the full article at HealthGuidance.org here.

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