Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsTraitsSituational FactorsChallengesType A vs. Other TypesCriticismsCoping With Challenges
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Traits
Situational Factors
Challenges
Type A vs. Other Types
Criticisms
Coping With Challenges
Close
You may have heard people say they are “Type A.” When people say this, they likely mean they are ambitious, organized, perfectionistic, and high-achieving. Since researchers started studying Type A personality, beginning with cardiologists Meyer Friedman and Ray Rosenman in the 1950s, it’s become a household term.
Characteristics associated with a Type A personality include:
At a GlanceMost people now know that Type A personality characteristics include being competitive and work-obsessed and that they can increase the risk of health problems. However, it’s not always understood exactly what traits constitute Type A behavior or how these traits impact health and well-being. Keep reading to learn more about what it truly means to have a Type A personality, explore ways that you can manage stress, and recognize and respond to people who may be Type A.
At a Glance
Most people now know that Type A personality characteristics include being competitive and work-obsessed and that they can increase the risk of health problems. However, it’s not always understood exactly what traits constitute Type A behavior or how these traits impact health and well-being. Keep reading to learn more about what it truly means to have a Type A personality, explore ways that you can manage stress, and recognize and respond to people who may be Type A.
1:25Click Play to Learn More About the Type A Personality
1:25
Click Play to Learn More About the Type A Personality
Type A Personality Traits
While the term “Type A” is thrown around often, it’s not always fully known what specific characteristics make up Type A personality, even among experts. For some people, the term applies to rude and impatient people. Others see workaholics as Type A. Many see competitiveness as the main characteristic.
Type A Personality TestIf you’re wondering whether your personality has Type A characteristics, trytaking our online quiz.
Type A Personality Test
If you’re wondering whether your personality has Type A characteristics, trytaking our online quiz.
According to research, the following are the hallmark characteristics of Type A Behavior Pattern (TABP):
Time Urgency and Impatience
Free-Floating Hostility or Aggressiveness
Free-floating hostility oraggressivenessis an additional trait of TABP. This may show up as impatience, rudeness, being easily upset over small things, or “having a short fuse,” for example.
Competitiveness
People with Type A behavior feel theneed to win at everything, from work torelationships, even if these activities aren’t inherently competitive.
Strong Achievement Orientation
Type A people tend to get their feelings of self-worth from what they achieve. They are easily frustrated when they face setbacks or obstacles. They are primarily focused on finishing tasks and achieving their goals.
Need for Dominance
Many Type A people try to show dominance in business and personal interactions, disregarding the wishes and needs of others in favor of their own. They tend to take on leadership roles where they can take control of the group and ensure that things are done they way they want them to be done.
Physical CharacteristicsYears of Type A behavior and stress can prompt physical characteristics and changes, including:Facial tension (tight lips, clenched jaw, etc.)Tongue clicking or teeth grindingDark circles under eyesFacial sweating (on forehead or upper lip)
Physical Characteristics
Years of Type A behavior and stress can prompt physical characteristics and changes, including:Facial tension (tight lips, clenched jaw, etc.)Tongue clicking or teeth grindingDark circles under eyesFacial sweating (on forehead or upper lip)
Years of Type A behavior and stress can prompt physical characteristics and changes, including:
How Situations Influence Type A Personality
For example, many jobs put heavy demands on time, making it necessary for workers to be very concerned with getting things done quickly to perform at work. Similarly, some workplaces put heavy penalties on mistakes, so efficiency and achievement become extremely important. Other jobs just create more stress, making people less patient, more stressed, and more prone to Type A behaviors.
Do Type A Personalities Have Anxiety?People with Type A characteristics may have higher anxiety levels than other personality types, specifically when they are overwhelmed. They may experience more job-related stress, as they put more pressure on themselves to achieve but are less satisfied with their work.
Do Type A Personalities Have Anxiety?
People with Type A characteristics may have higher anxiety levels than other personality types, specifically when they are overwhelmed. They may experience more job-related stress, as they put more pressure on themselves to achieve but are less satisfied with their work.
Potential Health Challenges of Type A Personality
There are certain characteristics associated with Type A personalities that can take a toll on health and lifestyle. Type A personalities may have challenges including:
Type A Personality ExampleSomeone with a Type A personality may be very successful and achieve a lot in life. They may also be organized and efficient, both in their personal and professional life. However, they may become stressed more easily when things become chaotic. They might prioritize over-achieving overself-care.
Type A Personality Example
Someone with a Type A personality may be very successful and achieve a lot in life. They may also be organized and efficient, both in their personal and professional life. However, they may become stressed more easily when things become chaotic. They might prioritize over-achieving overself-care.
Type A Personality vs. Other Personality Types
Each personality type can experience unique challenges that may cause stress and potentially have a negative impact on health. Fortunately, there are effective ways to cope with traits such as negativity, excessive worry, and inhibition.
Criticism of Type A Personality Theory
Research from the University of Toronto published in theJournal of Personality and Social Psychologysuggests that categorizing people’s personalities into Type A, B, C, or D is an outdated practice.
Instead of considering the personalities as separate “types,” the researchers suggest it’s more useful to consider them as groups of traits that people possess.
It may be helpful to consider personalities as made up of nuanced characteristics, rather than lumping people into a specific personality type. This helps paint a more accurate picture of the strengths and weaknesses of separate traits, rather than viewing any one personality type as “good” or “bad.”
For instance, to say that Type A personalities are at a greater risk for health problems is not accurate. It’s actually specific traits associated with Type A personalities—such as impatience, for instance—that can lead to higher stress levels, and in turn, put someone at a greater risk of health problems.
On the other hand, Type A personalities possess plenty of traits that promote good health—such as being achievement-oriented—which can lead to higher levels of success and happiness.
How to Cope With a Type A Personality
Change Your Work Life
Altercertain factorsin your work life to make your job less stressful and demanding and more rewarding. For example, you can try to enjoy the meaning you attach to your work rather than focusing primarily on outcomes.
If your job has been stressful enough to affect your health, talk to your boss about expectations to be sure that it is possible to meet them with a reasonable level of work.
It’s also helpful to find ways to strike a healthywork life balance. Set boundaries around work time and the rest of your life so that you have more time to enjoy leisure time and hobbies.
Change Thought Patterns
Though it takes practice, you can change your thinking patterns to more positive ones. This helps you develop trust in yourself and those around you and can soften Type A tendencies.
For example, when you feel inadequate or make mistakes, focus more heavily on what you are doing well. When you find yourself usingnegative self-talk, talk to yourself the way you would a good friend.
Fake It ‘Til You Make It
Sometimes you can act your way into new habits. Even if you don’t always feel calm and serene, if you make a conscious choice to try to slow yourself down and be more patient with people, that behavior will most likely become more of a habit and begin to come more easily to you.
This is not the same as being completelydetachedfrom awareness of your feelings, or keeping them bottled up until you eventually explode. Rather, focus on making changes in your behavior in conjunction with emotion-oriented strategies, and you should make progress.
Start a Journal
The practice ofkeeping a journalhas many proven benefits for your stress level and overall health. It can also be a helpful practice in softening Type A characteristics, especially if done right. To use your journal as an instrument of change:
Face Your Fears
This may sound crazy, but a good way to work past Type A tendencies is to give yourself an extra dose of what frustrates you to show yourself that it’s not so bad. The more youexposeyourself to such situations, the less distressing and intolerable they will seem.
For example, some therapists recommend that you pick long lines in the grocery store just to show yourself that you can survive the frustration of waiting. The threat of having to wait in a longer line may help you be more patient in a shorter one.
Make It a Game
When you’refrustrated while stuck in traffic, make a game out of it and count what frustrates you. The same can be done for life in general. If you see how many frustrating things you can playfully tally, you’ll almost look forward to people’s quirks.
Take a Breath
The next time you’re about to scream, why not take that deep breath and, instead, just breathe it out? When you feel you’re about to explode, a few deep, slow breaths can do wonders!Breathing exercisesare a stress reliever you can use anywhere.
Breathing Exercises for Rapid Stress Relief
Love Your Pets
Pets have many stress management and health benefits and can help provide you with the extra calm you need.Walking a dog can be relaxing and social, get you out into nature (or at least out of the office), and provideexercise(another stress reliever) as well.
Caring for an animal and receiving its unconditional love can connect you with the best parts of your humanity. Even watching aquarium fish can have a measurable effect on blood pressure.
How Owning a Pet Can Reduce Stress
Work in Your Garden
Getting out into the sunshine, beautifying your yard, and getting back in touch with nature are some of the benefits ofgardening. It all adds up to some great stress relief. This tension-taming tool can reduce overall stress and teach you to take it easy a little more, softening your Type A tendencies.
Takeaways
While you may decide to try and modify some of your Type A traits, remember that there are no good or bad personality types. If you’re looking to soften a few of your Type A traits, it may just mean you’re looking to reduce stress and enjoy your journey more. You can still achieve your goals.
If you are having trouble coping with someone else’s Type A tendencies, practiceassertivenessandhealthy conflict resolution techniques.
10 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Hisam A, Rahman MU, Mashhadi SF, Raza G.Type A and Type B personality among undergraduate medical students: Need for psychosocial rehabilitation.Pak J Med Sci. 2014;30(6):1304-1307. doi:10.12669/pjms.306.5541Petticrew MP, Lee K, Mckee M.Type A behavior pattern and coronary heart disease: Philip Morris’s “crown jewel”.Am J Public Health. 2012;102(11):2018-2025. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2012.300816Janisse M, Yerama C, Yeh E, Moser C, Dyck D.Type A behavior and the processing of causal attributions of success and failure. In: Spielberger C, ed.Stress And Anxiety. Taylor & Francis; 2014.Steca P, D’Addario M, Magrin ME, 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.2016;11(9):e0161840. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0161840Saadi W, Gorgi M, Fouel N, et al.Relationship between type A personality and coronary heart disease.Eur Psychiatry. 2022;65(Suppl 1):S374. doi:10.1192/j.eurpsy.2022.950Sahoo S, Padhy SK, Padhee B, Singla N, Sarkar S.Role of personality in cardiovascular diseases: An issue that needs to be focused too!.Indian Heart J. 2018;70 Suppl 3(Suppl 3):S471-S477. doi:10.1016/j.ihj.2018.11.003Rymarczyk K, Turbacz A, Strus W, Cieciuch J.Type C personality: Conceptual refinement and preliminary operationalization.Front Psychol. 2020;11:552740. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2020.552740Steptoe A, Molloy GJ.Personality and heart disease.Heart. 2007;93(7):783-784. doi:10.1136/hrt.2006.109355Wilmot MP, Haslam N, Tian J, Ones DS.Direct and conceptual replications of the taxometric analysis of type a behavior.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.2019;116(3):e12-e26. doi:10.1037/pspp0000195Anxiety and Depression Association of America.Alleviating anxiety, stress and depression with the pet effect.
10 Sources
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Hisam A, Rahman MU, Mashhadi SF, Raza G.Type A and Type B personality among undergraduate medical students: Need for psychosocial rehabilitation.Pak J Med Sci. 2014;30(6):1304-1307. doi:10.12669/pjms.306.5541Petticrew MP, Lee K, Mckee M.Type A behavior pattern and coronary heart disease: Philip Morris’s “crown jewel”.Am J Public Health. 2012;102(11):2018-2025. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2012.300816Janisse M, Yerama C, Yeh E, Moser C, Dyck D.Type A behavior and the processing of causal attributions of success and failure. In: Spielberger C, ed.Stress And Anxiety. Taylor & Francis; 2014.Steca P, D’Addario M, Magrin ME, 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.2016;11(9):e0161840. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0161840Saadi W, Gorgi M, Fouel N, et al.Relationship between type A personality and coronary heart disease.Eur Psychiatry. 2022;65(Suppl 1):S374. doi:10.1192/j.eurpsy.2022.950Sahoo S, Padhy SK, Padhee B, Singla N, Sarkar S.Role of personality in cardiovascular diseases: An issue that needs to be focused too!.Indian Heart J. 2018;70 Suppl 3(Suppl 3):S471-S477. doi:10.1016/j.ihj.2018.11.003Rymarczyk K, Turbacz A, Strus W, Cieciuch J.Type C personality: Conceptual refinement and preliminary operationalization.Front Psychol. 2020;11:552740. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2020.552740Steptoe A, Molloy GJ.Personality and heart disease.Heart. 2007;93(7):783-784. doi:10.1136/hrt.2006.109355Wilmot MP, Haslam N, Tian J, Ones DS.Direct and conceptual replications of the taxometric analysis of type a behavior.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.2019;116(3):e12-e26. doi:10.1037/pspp0000195Anxiety and Depression Association of America.Alleviating anxiety, stress and depression with the pet effect.
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Hisam A, Rahman MU, Mashhadi SF, Raza G.Type A and Type B personality among undergraduate medical students: Need for psychosocial rehabilitation.Pak J Med Sci. 2014;30(6):1304-1307. doi:10.12669/pjms.306.5541Petticrew MP, Lee K, Mckee M.Type A behavior pattern and coronary heart disease: Philip Morris’s “crown jewel”.Am J Public Health. 2012;102(11):2018-2025. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2012.300816Janisse M, Yerama C, Yeh E, Moser C, Dyck D.Type A behavior and the processing of causal attributions of success and failure. In: Spielberger C, ed.Stress And Anxiety. Taylor & Francis; 2014.Steca P, D’Addario M, Magrin ME, 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.2016;11(9):e0161840. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0161840Saadi W, Gorgi M, Fouel N, et al.Relationship between type A personality and coronary heart disease.Eur Psychiatry. 2022;65(Suppl 1):S374. doi:10.1192/j.eurpsy.2022.950Sahoo S, Padhy SK, Padhee B, Singla N, Sarkar S.Role of personality in cardiovascular diseases: An issue that needs to be focused too!.Indian Heart J. 2018;70 Suppl 3(Suppl 3):S471-S477. doi:10.1016/j.ihj.2018.11.003Rymarczyk K, Turbacz A, Strus W, Cieciuch J.Type C personality: Conceptual refinement and preliminary operationalization.Front Psychol. 2020;11:552740. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2020.552740Steptoe A, Molloy GJ.Personality and heart disease.Heart. 2007;93(7):783-784. doi:10.1136/hrt.2006.109355Wilmot MP, Haslam N, Tian J, Ones DS.Direct and conceptual replications of the taxometric analysis of type a behavior.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.2019;116(3):e12-e26. doi:10.1037/pspp0000195Anxiety and Depression Association of America.Alleviating anxiety, stress and depression with the pet effect.
Hisam A, Rahman MU, Mashhadi SF, Raza G.Type A and Type B personality among undergraduate medical students: Need for psychosocial rehabilitation.Pak J Med Sci. 2014;30(6):1304-1307. doi:10.12669/pjms.306.5541
Petticrew MP, Lee K, Mckee M.Type A behavior pattern and coronary heart disease: Philip Morris’s “crown jewel”.Am J Public Health. 2012;102(11):2018-2025. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2012.300816
Janisse M, Yerama C, Yeh E, Moser C, Dyck D.Type A behavior and the processing of causal attributions of success and failure. In: Spielberger C, ed.Stress And Anxiety. Taylor & Francis; 2014.
Steca P, D’Addario M, Magrin ME, 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.2016;11(9):e0161840. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0161840
Saadi W, Gorgi M, Fouel N, et al.Relationship between type A personality and coronary heart disease.Eur Psychiatry. 2022;65(Suppl 1):S374. doi:10.1192/j.eurpsy.2022.950
Sahoo S, Padhy SK, Padhee B, Singla N, Sarkar S.Role of personality in cardiovascular diseases: An issue that needs to be focused too!.Indian Heart J. 2018;70 Suppl 3(Suppl 3):S471-S477. doi:10.1016/j.ihj.2018.11.003
Rymarczyk K, Turbacz A, Strus W, Cieciuch J.Type C personality: Conceptual refinement and preliminary operationalization.Front Psychol. 2020;11:552740. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2020.552740
Steptoe A, Molloy GJ.Personality and heart disease.Heart. 2007;93(7):783-784. doi:10.1136/hrt.2006.109355
Wilmot MP, Haslam N, Tian J, Ones DS.Direct and conceptual replications of the taxometric analysis of type a behavior.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.2019;116(3):e12-e26. doi:10.1037/pspp0000195
Anxiety and Depression Association of America.Alleviating anxiety, stress and depression with the pet effect.
Meet Our Review Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?HelpfulReport an ErrorOtherSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?HelpfulReport an ErrorOtherSubmit
What is your feedback?
