Psychologists and philosophers alongside many other scholars define personality psychology as one of the branches of psychology that focus on the study of personality in individuals identifying their variations that highly contributes to the diversities of human character. Moreover, the studies help in the clarification of the human nature, their similarities and the development of an individual’s psychological processes. Moreover, it is the focus on the variation in personal characteristics regarding their thoughts, emotions and behaviour which are based on the understanding the differences in the features of an individual regarding irritability and sociability. The main features of people that are mostly looked into include introversion, extroversion, conscientiousness, agreeableness, openness and neuroticism. Despite the fact that there are dozens of ways in which personality can be measured, psychologists have restrained from categorizing humanity by their habits and behaviours. In this research paper, we shall look into the type A personality and get to understand its components, background and effects among other vital information on the individuals who possess this kind of character.
Background of Type A Personality
In the identification and description of the personality – Type A, two cardiologists, Meyer Friedman and H. Rosenham who were on duty attending to patients with heart conditions or had health conditions that affected the heart observed the traits and reactions of the awaiting patients. As elaborated by Saul McLeod (2018), the theory was mainly based on the actions and the ways in which the individuals were responding to everything around them. While there were those persons that would patiently wait for their turn to be attended to by the physicians, there were those impatiently sat at the edges of the seats showing signs of agitations and extreme temper. In real life these individuals are observed to be competitive, ambitious, aggressive and always setting their standards very high. According to the cardiologists, these are the individuals who were identified to have severe coronary conditions in addition to stress related diseases, hence classified into the type A personality.
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As elaborated further, people with the type A personality tend to live in high-stress levels and anxiety and hence may portray traits like enjoying achievements of set goals whereby they prefer going for goals that many feels are difficult to achieve. Therefore, they input extra effort and hard work just to get to their goals and in most cases prove a point that they are capable. They are always under pressure with constant competition and dislike failure. In simpler terms as highlighted by Tsuchimine, Shoko et al., individuals who possess the type A personality is basically with high ambitions that are accompanied with aggressiveness, hostility and unstable self-esteem.
Statistical Information about type A Personality
The different personalities of people are determined by the strengths of their preferences; hence each has a unique set of characters that define who they are. According to Jerry M. Burger (2014), various research methods are used to identify and observe personalities of people. Some of these methods include the hypothesis – testing approach, the case study method, statistical analysis of data and personality assessment. Specifically, on the method of statistical analysis, Burger explains that statistical information found and recorded by most researchers and scholars do not adequately reflect the exact figures and information on the ground. The ability of people knowing and understanding their personality types helps in the development of strong, healthy relationships, career growth and exceptional academic performances. Statistically, there are sixteen kinds of personality type which are categorized in the four sets that include projectors, creators, intellectual and visionaries. Persons who are projectors have high preferences of extraversion, sensing, thinking and judging and therefore are hardworking and very responsible. They are loyal and competent leaders who set and provide high standards and structures to their juniors. The statistics of projectors include individuals who can oversee, support, examine and defend whatever project or roles delegated to them. The percentages of these persons in the population are 13%, 12%, 8.5% and 7% respectively. As for the creators set of individuals, their characteristics are incorporate with the high preferences in persuasion, entrainment, crafty and artistic. They are second in command after the projectors, and in the population, they are distributed 10%, 11%, 6% and 6% respectively. After the creators, there are the intellectuals who individuals who are strategists, engineers, originators and chiefs. The percentages of people with these kinds of traits are 1.5%, 2.5%, 4.5% and 4% respectively. The final set of characteristics is of those who are referred to the visionaries whose preference traits include mentors, advocates, confidants and dreamers. Just like the intellectuals, the visionaries make a smaller portion of the population which 4%,7%,1%, and 2% respectively. As highlighted by Hisam et.al. (2014), the women tend to possess more traits as supporters, defenders, entertainers, artists, mentors, advocates, confidants and dreamers as compared to the men who are more of overseers, examiners, persuaders, crafty, chiefs, originators, strategists and engineers.
Demographic Differences in Type A Personality
With the results of most of the researches conducted, there have been variations on the outcome in different demographics that include age, ethnic groups, culture, and gender among many other categories. For instance, women are observed to be more extroverted as compared to men who tend to be more introverted. This nature of women can explain as to why they tend to be more supportive in different life aspects as compared to the male gender. On the contrary, some cultures demean women, and they are expected to be calm, polite and withdrawn as a sign of attractiveness. Therefore, most women from cultures and religion like the Asian, Africans and Muslims portray who their men as the dominating gender contribute to the introverted nature of their females.
As highlighted by Hisam et.al (2014), the type A and B personalities were prevalent in undergraduate medical students who required psychosocial rehabilitation. In the research conducted, the information compiled showed that the more students who were in higher classes possessed the type A personality that was recorded in percentages of 3.8%, 2.6%, 2.2%, 1.2%, and 1% for the final year, fourth, third, second and first years respectively. Among the students, the more female students had the type A personality as compared to the male students. Moreover, older students were identified to have the traits of high-performing individuals who were more ambitious and looked forward to achieving challenging goals.
According to Steca, Patrizia et.al (2016), the people with type A and D personality were more vulnerable to contract coronary diseases, and the distribution of the health conditions was more prevalent to male individuals who were at least below fifty-four years. The increase of age encouraged calmness which impacted the decrease in the severity of the heart conditions. The intensity of the heart conditions of people with type A personality is influenced with the internalizing of the neuroticism, extraversion and conscientiousness which contributes to the development of depression leading to the heart conditions.
According to a statistic done in the United States, there were variables on the character traits especially in people of the different genders. Unlike other countries the third world nation, the United States have a higher percentage of extroverts than introverts which are recorded as 70% - 75% and 20% - 35% respectively. The individuals who were preferred for gathering data roles were identified as able to sense and were intuitive; their percentages were 75% and 35% respectively. More males were considered to be better decision makers than the women who comprised 60% of males that were thinkers and 40% females and the same percentage for those who were feelers. Individuals who were more of judges and perceivers made up the percentage of 55% in judging and 45% in perception in both genders. Therefore, persons with various combinations of traits in the United States population were identified and observed to be of value in particular areas that could impact the economy.
Impact of Type A personality
Just everything else, the type A personality has got it pros and cons that impact both the lives of the people who possess the trait and those around them. For instance, the competitive nature of people with this kind of a personality contributes to their ability to venture into areas that many people fear to get into. They tend to be the pace setters and always in the lead coming up with innovative ideas that not only transform their lives but those of others too. According to Kristin Naragon - Gainey and Leonard J. Simms (2017) emphasizes that the interaction between extraversion, neuroticism and conscientiousness impacts the psychiatric nature of individuals and since type A personalities have a mix of traits that define them as they are, they tend to portray dozens of psychiatric disorders that directly affects their lives. In the case of competitiveness among individuals with type A personalities, the people around them are in most cases challenged to have a defined and distinct set of mind that can keep up with the type A personalities. Moreover, the environment with people who type A personalities in many cases is structured in a more developed manner with sophisticated channels and infrastructures. While their competitiveness may positively impact their surroundings, the attitude of aggressiveness and hostility emphasizes on their self-centeredness which implies their need for success whether or not other people benefit. For as long as they accomplish their goals, type A personalities will do anything including violating the rights of others to get to the heights they have set. As a result, other individuals who are not with the same traits may feel stepped on and discriminate upon which may tamper with their self-esteem and confidence in facing and accomplishing their set goals.
Conclusion
The differences in people are mainly identified, observed and analyzed because of the various impacts it has in the whole life of an individual from their social being to health and mental state. Like in the case of people with a type A personalities, their influence in the society is immense in both positive and negative aspects. Moreover, while they may have a direct impact on the community together with other individuals who have distinct characters, type A personalities in most cases adversely affect their health conditions which involve the development of coronary and cognitive conditions. For instance, from the information of the cited researchers, it is clear that adverse heart conditions are a joint development in people who have the type A personality. The main reason as to why they are prone to heart diseases is mainly because of the internalization of their combined traits that bring out hostility, aggressiveness, competitiveness, highly set goals and self-centeredness among others. The mental state of these individuals is also a field with anxiety and radical thinking that enhances high tempers.
References
Burger, J. M. (2014). Personality. Cengage Learning,.
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McLeod, S. (2014). Type A Personality . Retrieved May 25, 2017, from Simply Psychology: https://www.simplypsychology.org/personality-a.html
Naragon-Gainey, Kristin, and Leonard J. Simms. "Three-Way Interaction Of Neuroticism, Extraversion, And Conscientiousness In The Internalizing Disorders: Evidence Of Disorder Specificity In A Psychiatric Sample". Journal Of Research In Personality , vol 70, 2017, pp. 16-26. Elsevier BV , doi:10.1016/j.jrp.2017.05.003.
Steca, Patrizia et al. "A Type A And Type D Combined Personality Typology In Essential Hypertension And Acute Coronary Syndrome Patients: Associations With Demographic, Psychological, Clinical, And Lifestyle Indicators". PLOS ONE , vol 11, no. 9, 2016, p. e0161840. Public Library Of Science (Plos) , doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0161840.
Tsuchimine, Shoko et al. "ABO Blood Type And Personality Traits In Healthy Japanese Subjects". PLOS ONE , vol 10, no. 5, 2015, p. e0126983. Public Library Of Science (Plos) , doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0126983.
