MARRIAGE AND TYPE A PERSONALITIES: THE VARIETY OF TYPE A REACTIONS
All Type A's do not react to stressors exactly alike. Physical overreactivity does seem to be a general characteristic of Type A's, but some are more reactive than others, and some individuals probably show more reflexive physiological reaction at some times than at other times.
Current research does suggest that certain Type A's do predictably show extreme, reflexive reactivity to any frustrating stimulus. These individuals, who can be referred to as hot reactor Type A's, are thought to be the population that is at greatest risk of developing heart disease because of the excessive amounts of physical stress and strain that come from their repeated activation of the flight-or-fight syndrome throughout daily living.
These hot reactors also seem to be the Type A's who experience the greatest marital and family discord, as measured by the evaluations of other family members. Remember, these people are not accurate observers of their own behavior or of the effect their behavior has on others. As a result, they may be only minimally aware of the degree of marital and family distress they are living with. (Just ask their spouses.)
To understand this factor of differing degrees of physiological reactivity found in different personality styles, it is helpful to think in terms of a continuum. At one end of the continuum is the hot reactor Type A. At the other end is the Type B. At various points between lie different combinations of Type A and Type B coping patterns. Experiments have been published that document the varying degrees of physiological reactivity of individuals who fall all along the continuum. For example, if a diversified group of Type A and Type B personalities is monitored for physiological reactions to frustrating stimuli such as noise or an unsolvable math problem, an interesting variation in physical response is seen.
The Type B subjects in such settings show brief elevations in measures of physical alarm and tension. Then they settle down relatively rapidly and adopt the attitude "Now, isn't this interesting? I can't solve this problem." On the other hand, some of the Type A reactors show elevated spikes of physical alarm and tension in response to these stressors, and they remain physically alarmed as they grapple with the problems at hand. Still others, the hot reactor Type A's, spike extremely high and quickly on measures of physical responsivity. Their measures of physical alarm may begin to lower repeatedly, only to spike again. In parallel to these physical responses, the hot reactors grow more angry and frustrated as the urgency of their need to solve the problem mounts. These people often return to the study site a day or so after participating in such experiments, saying, "Give me another chance. I can solve that damned problem today."
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MISCELLANEOUS Causes of headaches: The Body Clock