Relationship of Coronary-Prone Behavior and Irrational Beliefs in College-Age and Older Males

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Abstract
Coronary-prone (Pattern A) behavior is considered a generalized strategy to control stress. Irrational beliefs are also generalized expectancies regarding the nature of social and physical stressors. Therapy designed to modify irrational beliefs has been applied in the treatment of coronary-prone behavior, but there has been no demonstration of the relationship between irrational beliefs and coronary-prone behavior. College-age and older males completed the Jenkins Activity Scale and the Irrational Beliefs Test. The data showed that High Self-expectations, Problem Avoidance, and Dependency were negatively correlated with Pattern A behavior for college-age males. Older males showed only a negative correlation between Problem Avoidance and coronary-prone behavior. Contrary to expectation no irrational beliefs were positively correlated with coronary-prone behavior. The conceptual and methodological implications for cognitive modification of Pattern A behavior are discussed.