M.A. (Clinical Psychology) / In recent times an increasing trend has been seen towards approaching coronary heart disease (CHO) in a wider context. The best present research suggests that coronary heart disease is not a purely medical-physiological condition, nor is it an inevitable consequence of the aging process. Behavioral factors are as important in the development of CHO as are physiological processes, and the most salient behavioural pattern in this regard appears to be the Type A coronary prone behaviour pattern (TABP). Views regarding the aetiology of TABP are as yet inconsistent and the research evidence inconclusive, but it would seem that the family of origin is an important factor in the transmission of this behavioural pattern ...

M.A. / Please refer to full text to view abstract

Thesis submitted to the Faculty of Arts, University of the Witwatersrand, for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Johannesburg 1995 / The large percentage of deaths attributed to recurrent Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) has generated a search for behavioural and psychological factors which mitigate the consequences of CHD. An aim of the present thesis is to extend this search by identifying factors which predict prognosis fer recovery from CHD. Two key factors seen to influence prognosis are aerobic exercise and Type A behaviour. Extant research into the role of exercise has been hindered by methodological weaknesses. As a consequence, the precise means by which exercise influences CHD patients' psychological and physiological strain remains unclear. Similarly, the Type A literature has been flawed by the inaccurate conceptualisation and measurement of Type A behaviour as a global, and 110t a multidimensional, construct. Research which has examined the multidimensional nature of Type A behaviour has been restricted to low risk samples. Thus, a further aim. of the present research is to examine ; prognostic role of exercise and Type A components within the context of cardiac rehabilitation. In achieving this aim, three studies are conducted. [Abbreviated Abstract. Open document to view full version] / MT2017

<p>The overall address of the present thesis is the relationship between being ‘on fire’ and burning out. More specifically, the thesis focused largely on two representations of involvement in work (work engagement and Type A behavior) and their respective relationships to burnout. Another pervasive theme was construct validity in assessing burnout and work engagement. These themes were addressed in four empirical studies, conducted in a sample of health-care workers (Study I) and a sample of information communication technology consultants (Studies II, III, and IV). Study I aimed to extend the previously preliminary support for the construct validity of the Swedish version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI). The objective of Study II was the discriminant validity of the Utrecht Work engagement Scale (UWES) against the theoretically adjacent constructs job involvement and organizational commitment. Another objective was the translation and evaluation of a Swedish version of the UWES. In Study III, the aim was to investigate (cross-sectional) association between Type A behavior, work engagement and burnout. Study III had two foci: 1) whether Type A behavior interacts with job factors to affect burnout and work engagement, and 2) the associations between the main components of Type A behavior (achievement-striving and irritability/impatience) and burnout as well as work engagement. Study IV concerned the longitudinal relationships between Type A behavior and burnout, and between work engagement and burnout. The results presented in this dissertation supported the construct validity of Swedish versions of the MBI and the UWES. It was further indicated that emotional exhaustion and depersonalization (or cynicism) constitute the core aspects of burnout, and that work engagement was more prominently associated with lack of health complaints than job involvement and organizational commitment. Type A behavior was found to be associated with burnout and work engagement in cross-sectional data, however different aspects of Type A behavior appeared to have somewhat different association with burnout and work engagement respectively. The achievement-striving aspect of Type A behavior was related primarily to work engagement, whereas irritability was associated with less engagement and more burnout complaints. No indications of an interaction between Type A behavior and job stress were found. The most important finding of Study IV was that change in Type A behavior was unrelated to change in burnout across time (one-year interval). Furthermore, Study IV supported the notion that work engagement and burnout are bipolar opposites and constitute a work well-being continuum. To conclude, the present thesis suggests that burnout should be viewed as an erosion of intrinsic, affective engagement in work occurring when intrinsic motivation is frustrated by job stress. To avoid conceptual confusion, burnout should be distinguished form exhaustion syndrome however it should be acknowledged that burnout may have negative impact on health. The present study indicated that Type A behavior is unrelated to the specific burnout reaction, a finding that needs to be replicated before generalizability can be assumed. However, it was assumed that Type A behavior represents an instrumental approach to work, further corroborating that burnout is a specific construct referring to the draining of a specific energetic and affective state. This does not imply that Type A behavior is unrelated to health deterioration – most plausibly, Type A behavior generates exhaustion and fatigue from over-exertion of energy. Both research and practice would benefit from exploring how work engagement may best be enhanced using job redesign.</p>

<p>The present thesis focuses on Type A behavior in children and its possible relation to hyperactivity/ADHD. Type A behavior in children has commonly been studied as the child equivalent behaviors of the adult pattern, in other words, competitive achievement-striving, impatience/time-urgency, and aggressiveness. </p><p>Study I investigated the convergent and discriminant validity of observationally assessed Type A behavior with regard to parent- and teacher-rated Type A behavior (Matthews Youth Test for Health [MYTH] questionnaire) and hyperactivity (questionnaire) among 8-year-olds. Study II was similar although these relations were studied longitudinally between 4 and 8 years of age, and hyperactivity was observationally assessed at age 4. The results of Studies I and II showed that Type A behavior is discernible already at age 4 and that it should be regarded as a phenomenon rather distinct from hyperactivity. Assessing aspects of Impatience, however, was found to be problematic, both in terms of discriminating between Type A behavior and hyperactivity, and in terms of showing stability over time. The MYTH was concluded to measure Type A behavior too indiscriminately, showing a substantial overlap with hyperactivity.</p><p>Study III attempted to differentiate Type A behavior (MYTH-defined) and hyperactivity/ADHD using observed motivation during a reaction time task. The results pointed to the MYTH as indiscriminant from hyperactivity measures with regard to observed motivation and task performance. The perception of Type A individuals as highly motivated to achieve was not evident in this study.</p><p>In Study IV, an observationally assessed Type A group was compared to a Type B group and an ADHD group on measures of inhibitory control and executive functioning. The results pointed to similarities between Type A and ADHD boys regarding overt displays of time-urgency and impatience. However, differences on other tasks of executive functioning lead to speculations concerning differing origins of overtly similar characteristics of Type A behavior and ADHD.</p>

The present thesis focuses on Type A behavior in children and its possible relation to hyperactivity/ADHD. Type A behavior in children has commonly been studied as the child equivalent behaviors of the adult pattern, in other words, competitive achievement-striving, impatience/time-urgency, and aggressiveness. Study I investigated the convergent and discriminant validity of observationally assessed Type A behavior with regard to parent- and teacher-rated Type A behavior (Matthews Youth Test for Health [MYTH] questionnaire) and hyperactivity (questionnaire) among 8-year-olds. Study II was similar although these relations were studied longitudinally between 4 and 8 years of age, and hyperactivity was observationally assessed at age 4. The results of Studies I and II showed that Type A behavior is discernible already at age 4 and that it should be regarded as a phenomenon rather distinct from hyperactivity. Assessing aspects of Impatience, however, was found to be problematic, both in terms of discriminating between Type A behavior and hyperactivity, and in terms of showing stability over time. The MYTH was concluded to measure Type A behavior too indiscriminately, showing a substantial overlap with hyperactivity. Study III attempted to differentiate Type A behavior (MYTH-defined) and hyperactivity/ADHD using observed motivation during a reaction time task. The results pointed to the MYTH as indiscriminant from hyperactivity measures with regard to observed motivation and task performance. The perception of Type A individuals as highly motivated to achieve was not evident in this study. In Study IV, an observationally assessed Type A group was compared to a Type B group and an ADHD group on measures of inhibitory control and executive functioning. The results pointed to similarities between Type A and ADHD boys regarding overt displays of time-urgency and impatience. However, differences on other tasks of executive functioning lead to speculations concerning differing origins of overtly similar characteristics of Type A behavior and ADHD.

The overall address of the present thesis is the relationship between being ‘on fire’ and burning out. More specifically, the thesis focused largely on two representations of involvement in work (work engagement and Type A behavior) and their respective relationships to burnout. Another pervasive theme was construct validity in assessing burnout and work engagement. These themes were addressed in four empirical studies, conducted in a sample of health-care workers (Study I) and a sample of information communication technology consultants (Studies II, III, and IV). Study I aimed to extend the previously preliminary support for the construct validity of the Swedish version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI). The objective of Study II was the discriminant validity of the Utrecht Work engagement Scale (UWES) against the theoretically adjacent constructs job involvement and organizational commitment. Another objective was the translation and evaluation of a Swedish version of the UWES. In Study III, the aim was to investigate (cross-sectional) association between Type A behavior, work engagement and burnout. Study III had two foci: 1) whether Type A behavior interacts with job factors to affect burnout and work engagement, and 2) the associations between the main components of Type A behavior (achievement-striving and irritability/impatience) and burnout as well as work engagement. Study IV concerned the longitudinal relationships between Type A behavior and burnout, and between work engagement and burnout. The results presented in this dissertation supported the construct validity of Swedish versions of the MBI and the UWES. It was further indicated that emotional exhaustion and depersonalization (or cynicism) constitute the core aspects of burnout, and that work engagement was more prominently associated with lack of health complaints than job involvement and organizational commitment. Type A behavior was found to be associated with burnout and work engagement in cross-sectional data, however different aspects of Type A behavior appeared to have somewhat different association with burnout and work engagement respectively. The achievement-striving aspect of Type A behavior was related primarily to work engagement, whereas irritability was associated with less engagement and more burnout complaints. No indications of an interaction between Type A behavior and job stress were found. The most important finding of Study IV was that change in Type A behavior was unrelated to change in burnout across time (one-year interval). Furthermore, Study IV supported the notion that work engagement and burnout are bipolar opposites and constitute a work well-being continuum. To conclude, the present thesis suggests that burnout should be viewed as an erosion of intrinsic, affective engagement in work occurring when intrinsic motivation is frustrated by job stress. To avoid conceptual confusion, burnout should be distinguished form exhaustion syndrome however it should be acknowledged that burnout may have negative impact on health. The present study indicated that Type A behavior is unrelated to the specific burnout reaction, a finding that needs to be replicated before generalizability can be assumed. However, it was assumed that Type A behavior represents an instrumental approach to work, further corroborating that burnout is a specific construct referring to the draining of a specific energetic and affective state. This does not imply that Type A behavior is unrelated to health deterioration – most plausibly, Type A behavior generates exhaustion and fatigue from over-exertion of energy. Both research and practice would benefit from exploring how work engagement may best be enhanced using job redesign.

The aim of this study was to compare unemployed and workers' life situation and the way they cope with different situations and to determine their degree of Type A. We used two different instruments: Friedman and Rosenman’s Type A-test and Carver’s cope test. The total number of respondents amounted to 169 participants. The participants were selected from a convenience sample at the employment service and from three different companies. Our hypotheses were that social support, Type A-behavior, age and education affect coping with unemployment or a difficult life situation. Our results confirmed the hypothesis partially. Women reported more social support than men, which affects how they are dealing with a difficult life situation. Unemployment and other difficult life situations are coped better with increasing age, and the use of problem-focused cope increases with higher education. / Syftet med studien var att jämföra arbetslösas och arbetandes livssituation, deras sätt att hantera olika situationer samt att ta reda på vilken grad av Typ A-nivå de hade. Vi har använt oss av två olika mätinstrument; Friedman och Rosenmans Typ A-test och Carvers copingtest där det totala antalet respondenter uppgick till 169 stycken. Våra deltagare valdes ut genom bekvämlighetsurval från arbetsförmedlingen samt från tre olika företag. Våra hypoteser var att socialt stöd, Typ A-beteende, ålder och utbildning påverkar hantering av arbetslöshet eller en svår livssituation. Vårt resultat bekräftade hypoteserna delvis. Män har lägre socialt stöd än kvinnor vilket påverkar hantering av en svår situation. Arbetslöshet och andra svåra händelser hanteras bättre ju äldre man blir. Vidare ökar användandet av problemfokuserad coping med högre utbildning.

<p>The aim of this study was to compare unemployed and workers' life situation and the way they cope with different situations and to determine their degree of Type A. We used two different instruments: Friedman and Rosenman’s Type A-test and Carver’s cope test. The total number of respondents amounted to 169 participants. The participants were selected from a convenience sample at the employment service and from three different companies. Our hypotheses were that social support, Type A-behavior, age and education affect coping with unemployment or a difficult life situation. Our results confirmed the hypothesis partially. Women reported more social support than men, which affects how they are dealing with a difficult life situation. Unemployment and other difficult life situations are coped better with increasing age, and the use of problem-focused cope increases with higher education.</p> / <p>Syftet med studien var att jämföra arbetslösas och arbetandes livssituation, deras sätt att hantera olika situationer samt att ta reda på vilken grad av Typ A-nivå de hade. Vi har använt oss av två olika mätinstrument; Friedman och Rosenmans Typ A-test och Carvers copingtest där det totala antalet respondenter uppgick till 169 stycken. Våra deltagare valdes ut genom bekvämlighetsurval från arbetsförmedlingen samt från tre olika företag. Våra hypoteser var att socialt stöd, Typ A-beteende, ålder och utbildning påverkar hantering av arbetslöshet eller en svår livssituation. Vårt resultat bekräftade hypoteserna delvis. Män har lägre socialt stöd än kvinnor vilket påverkar hantering av en svår situation. Arbetslöshet och andra svåra händelser hanteras bättre ju äldre man blir. Vidare ökar användandet av problemfokuserad coping med högre utbildning.</p>

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2001. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 157-169). Also available on the Internet.