Response to stress, cognitive coping strategies, and the Type A behavior pattern.

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Abstract
This study was conducted to examine (a) whether Type A individuals respond with more psychophysiological arousal to threat to self-esteem than to threat of shock, (b) whether differences between Type A and Type B individuals in psychophysiological responses are greater under high than low stress, and (c) whether Type A and Type B individuals differ in how they cognitively cope with stress. Eighty-four college males served as subjects. The results indicated that the Type A subjects manifested higher pulse rates across all conditions and greater systolic and diastolic blood pressure in response to threat to self-esteem than did Type B subjects. The Type A subjects also employed more suppression in response to both threat to self-esteem and threat of shock and employed more denial in response to threat to self-esteem than did Type B subjects. Implications regarding the means by which Type A behavior increases the risk of premature heart disease are discussed.