Abstract

Most of the researches conducted in search of a coronary prone personality has focused on the TABP(Type A behavior pattern), a collection of behaviors that seems predictive of CHD(coronary heart disease). The two primary methods of assessing TABP are the SI(Structured Interview) and JAS(Jenkins Activity Survey). JAS is more convinient but has a weaker predictive value than SI. It is important to relate and compare Type A and other personalities to improve the prediction of CHD. Seventy two persons were divided by groups of type A with internal locus of control(IA), type A with external control(EA), type B with internal control(IB), and type B with external control(EB). This study has shown the IA group has low depression and trait anxiety and the EA group has high depression and trait anxiety. The differences of the two groups are significant. But the differences among B groups are not significant. That results arises from the interaction effect between Type A and locus of control. The similar trend was observed in FBV(finger blood volume). The IA group has shown the most decrease of FBV but the EA group has shown the least decrease. Much decrease of FBV can be interpreted as energy mobilization to cope with the environment. Booth-Kewley suggested that CHD-prone personality might be a personality with one or more negative emotions, in short, maladapted personality. It can be described that the IA group has hurried and impatient behavior type with positive emotions, and the EA group has hurried behaviors also but with negative emotions. Much FBV decrease of IA group can be interpreted of energy mobilization to cope the environment well, therefore IA group may be the well adapted group. Putting together these results, it was concluded the EA group might be coronary prone type A and the IA group might be the healthy type A. This study has found that the type A and the locus of control has interactive effects on predicting CHD. The results indicate that if JAS and the locus of control measurement are used together, the predictive value of JAS will be raised.