title: Long-term changes in Type A behavior: a 27-year follow-up of the Western Collaborative Group Study.
abstract: This study examined the long-term stability of Type A behavior pattern in the Western Collaborative Group Study for 1180 surviving participants in a 27-year follow-up examination during 1986-1987. Subjects were readministered the Structured Interview (SI), originally developed for this study and first administered at intake in 1960-1961. Subjects were also given the Jenkins Activity Survey (JAS) and were asked to evaluate their behaviors currently and in the past using two short descriptions of Type A and Type B behaviors. Analyses of changes in global SI ratings, JAS score, and self-ratings showed no relationships between self-perceived changes reported in questionnaires and observed changes when assessed by the SI. Using the SI ratings, 61% of subjects retained their initial classification and 39% of subjects were rated differently, with a higher percentage of those originally typed B being rerated as A than A being rerated as B. Type B subjects rerated as A were significantly younger, retired earlier, reported better health, and were less likely to have been in a managerial or professional position than the subjects who changed from A to B.
authors.affiliation: Health Sciences Program, SRI International, Menlo Park, California 94025.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Carmelli
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dame
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Swan
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rosenman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000401:mortality / Q000523:psychology*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011594:Psychometrics; D015996:Survival Rate; D014434:Type A Personality