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Type A/B Behavioral Pattern Scale

Tanishka Singh

Department of psychology, Fergusson College

PSY3502: Psychology Practical: Tests and Statistical Methods

Dr. Pooja Prabhavalkar

Assignment Due Date: 19/8/23

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PURPOSE OF THE TEST

To assess personality types of the subject by administering type A/B Behavioral pattern scale

CASE HISTORY

The subject who took this test is a 20-year-old male student in the third year of his B.A in

political science in Fergusson College and is preparing for his civil services examinations.

His hobbies are playing badminton and going to the gym. Based on the questions we asked

on type A and type B personality traits, the subject responded that he is very consistent with

his studies, he just studies a little less on Friday. He pre plans everything and has a to-do list

in his mind although he does not write it down. If given an opportunity to lead a group, he

responded that he would preferably do so in order to prevent chaos and he would also not

hesitate to assert his will in order to maintain harmony. He reported that if things do not go as

per his plans, then he feels frustrated but he nevertheless will have to try to remain calm to

find solutions to the problem. He also stated that in such scenarios, he tends to overthink a

little bit and feels restlessness. He also believes in collective excellence and is always

motivated for healthy competition. He said that in case of a disagreement, he asserts his point

of view although he accepts other’s opinions at the same time. He reported that he tends to

get restless and stressed if he does not achieve his goal and it's important for him to find

solutions. When asked how he would react to waiting and standing in a queue, he said that he

would get frustrated and impatient, but he would do so if he had to.

INTRODUCTION

i. Definition of personality according to type approach

Type is a class of individual said to share a common collection of characteristics. For ex:

introverts are described as people characterized with shyness and social withdrawal, whereas
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extroverts are characterized by talkativeness and friendliness. Types help us to anticipate how

these people will act in the future. Groupings or sets of types are called typologies

ii. Type theories of personality

The "Father of Medicine," Hippocrates, an ancient Greek physician, created a theory of

personality based on the idea of the Four Humors. Hippocrates believed that the harmony or

discord of four body fluids known as humors, which were connected to four temperaments,

had an impact on a person's personality and health:

1. Blood (Sanguine): This humor was regarded to be warm and fluid, and it was thought to

be connected to the liver. People who had an abundance of blood were upbeat, enthusiastic,

and gregarious. They were considered to be outgoing, vivacious, and imaginative.

2. Yellow Bile (Choleric): This humor was thought to be hot and dry and was connected to

the gallbladder. Excessive yellow bile was associated with passion, ambition, and

assertiveness. They had a tendency to assume leadership positions and were aggressive and

easily irritated.

3.Black Bile (Melancholic): This humor was seen as cold and dry and was connected to the

spleen. People with excessive amounts of black bile were thought to be serious, analytical,

and introverted. They were supposed to be cautious, introspective, and prone to melancholy

or sadness.

4.Phlegm (Phlegmatic): This humor was connected to the lungs and was regarded as cool

and damp. Phlegm overproduction was associated with calm, ease, and tranquility in people.

They were seen as laid-back, patient, and satisfied.

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It was believed that disorders or personality problems developed when one or more humors

were in excess or deficiency, causing an imbalance.

The sage Charaka wrote the ancient Indian Ayurvedic literature known as the Charaka

Samhita sometime in the second century BCE. According to Ayurveda, the Vata, Pitta, and

Kapha doshas make up the majority of the human body. These doshas combine differently in

each person, which has an impact on their physical and mental characteristics as well as their

health and well-being.

1.Vata: The elements of air and ether are related to vata. People with a predominance of the

Vata dosha are frequently imaginative, animated, and enthusiastic. They frequently have

quick minds and are adaptive and creative. Vata can cause agitation, restlessness, and

difficulties focusing when it is out of equilibrium.

2.Pitta: Water and fire are Pitta's corresponding elements. People who have a predominate

Pitta dosha tend to be aspirational, intelligent, and goal-oriented. They exhibit leadership

abilities and a strong feeling of determination. Pitta imbalance can cause impatience,

perfectionism, and a propensity for being judgmental.

3.Kapha: The elements of earth and water are linked to the kapha. Those with a prominent

Kapha dosha tend to be serene, caring, and kind. They have a solid, grounded attitude and are

frequently kind and understanding. But too much kapha can cause laziness, possessiveness,

and reluctance to change.

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American psychologist William Sheldon created a theory of personality based on his studies

and observations of various bodily types in people. He suggested that there is a link between

a person's bodily makeup and their mental traits. The "Somatotype Theory" or "Body

Typing" is the name given to Sheldon's hypothesis.

Sheldon asserts that there are three main bodily kinds, or somatotypes, each of which is

connected to particular personality characteristics:

1. Endomorph: People with an endomorphic body type have a soft, spherical shape that is

defined by more body fat and a wider frame. Sheldon believed that an outgoing, gregarious,

and loving demeanor characterized the endomorph body type. They were thought to be laid

back and tolerant.

2.Mesomorph: Mesomorphs are more athletic and muscular, with a higher percentage of

muscle mass in their bodies. Sheldon connected the mesomorph body type to competition,

aggressiveness, and a propensity for physical activity. He thought that mesomorphs were

bold, active, and self-assured.

3.Ectomorph: Ectomorphs have smaller shoulders and a leaner, more slender build overall.

Sheldon attributed smart and sensitive personality attributes to the ectomorph physical type.

Ectomorphs were perceived as emotional, introverted, and contemplative.

Carl Jung gave the theory of extraversion and introversion

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1.Extraversion (E): Extraverts are people who focus their energy on the outside environment.

They frequently exhibit greater sociability, extroversion, and environmental awareness. By

interacting with others and being exposed to outside stimuli, they feel reenergized and gain

energy. Extraverts frequently exhibit greater talkativeness and assertiveness and value social

interactions and team activities.

2. Introversion (I): On the other hand, introverts focus their energies on their inner world of

feelings, ideas, and reflections. They frequently exhibit greater restraint and introspection and

may require solitude to rest and assimilate information. Individual pursuits or interactions

with smaller groups of close friends may be more appealing to introverts than huge

gatherings.

He thought that although everyone has both extraverted and introverted traits, one of these

orientations tends to be more prevalent and preferred. He referred to this dominating

tendency as the "dominant function" and thought it affected how people behaved and made

decisions.

Friedman and Rosenman's theory of personality is related to their research on Type A and

Type B personalities

1.Type A Personality: People with Type A personalities are known for being ambitious,

competitive, time-conscious, and highly motivated. They frequently describe themselves as

being "high-strung" or impatient and have a strong feeling of urgency. Multitasking is

common among Type A personalities, who might get easily irritated by mistakes or delays.
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2.Type B Personality: In contrast, Type B personalities are less hurried, more laid-back, and

patient. They approach life with a usually more relaxed, easygoing, and adaptable attitude.

People with type B personalities are less likely to feel hostile or overly competitive.

According to Friedman and Rosenman's original research, Type A people are more likely

than Type B people to develop coronary heart disease. It was thought that Type A behavior

increased the risk of cardiac problems because of the stress and intensity it brought.

Researchers discovered that those who identify as type A are more likely to have high blood

pressure, higher levels of stress hormones, and atherosclerosis.

Two other personality types, Type C and Type D, have also been investigated in relation to

health and wellbeing. Psychologists first recognized these personality characteristics in

relation to cancer patients and cardiac patients, respectively.

1.Type C personality: Coping styles shown in cancer patients are linked to type C

personality. The following characteristics define it:

•Conformity: People who identify as type C tend to be docile, obedient, and conflict-

avoidant. They could struggle to exert themselves or convey their feelings in trying

circumstances.

•Suppression of feelings: People with type C personalities frequently exhibit stoicism and

tend to suppress their feelings, particularly strong emotions like wrath and anxiety.
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•Helplessness: When confronted with difficult or discouraging situations, they may exhibit a

sense of helplessness or hopelessness.

The type C personality was first discovered in studies on cancer patients who used these

defining coping mechanisms in the face of their sickness.

2.Type D Personality: Type D personalities, sometimes referred to as the "distressed" or

"disease-prone" personalities, are linked to negative affectivity and social inhibition. It is

defined by:

•Negative Affectivity: Type D people have a propensity for feeling depressing emotions like

worry and depression as well as impatience.

•Social Inhibition: Due to their propensity for social inhibition, they could find it difficult to

express themselves or interact with others.

Cardiovascular patients have been the focus of research on Type D personality, which has

been linked to poor health outcomes. In people with heart disease, it has been related to a

higher risk of cardiovascular events and a lower quality of life. Negative affectivity and

social inhibition may result in more stress and less social support, which may have an effect

on cardiac health.

iii. Practical utility of the test

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1. Career guidance: Personality tests can provide insights into a person's preferences, skills,

and behavioral inclinations, which can be helpful in determining acceptable career pathways

and employment roles.

2.Team Building: To better understand team dynamics, pinpoint individual strengths, and

build more unified and efficient teams, employers or team leaders may use personality tests.

3.Personal Development: Personal development requires self-awareness. People who take

personality tests may have a better understanding of their personality traits, communication

preferences, and opportunities for development.

4.Recruitment and Selection: As part of the recruiting process, employers may use

personality tests to see whether candidates' personalities mesh with the demands of the

position and the company's culture.

5. Dispute Resolution: Understanding one another's characteristics can help with dispute

resolution and enhance communication in both professional and personal relationships.

6.Counseling and therapy: Personality tests can be useful tools in therapeutic settings to help

mental health practitioners comprehend the underlying personality features and difficulties of

their clients.

DESCRIPTION OF THE TEST

i. Introduction
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Type A/B Behavioral Pattern Scale has been developed by Upindher Dhair and Manisha Jain

and year of publication was 1983.The ABBPS tries to identify the behavioral pattern of the

subject either as type A or type B, on the basis of score on the both part of the test i.e. part I

and part II. In part I there are 17 questions having six factors and in part II there are 16

questions having 5 factors. In both parts, subjects score different scores.

ii. Sub-Scales

Sub Scales of Type-A Behavioural Pattern

1. Tenseness it is the sense of time urgency. This factor is measured by items 8, 10, 13 and

15

2. Impatience means inability to wait calmly and this factor is measured by items 2 and 6

3. Restlessness means not feeling relaxed while working. Items 4, 7 and 17 measure this

factor

4. Achievement Orientation is the need to achieve something worthwhile whenever there is a

possibility. This factor is measured by items 3, 9 and 16.

5. Domineering is the sense of power over anything and this factor is measured by items 1,

11, 14

6. Workaholic is one who has a tendency of doing something all the time. Items 5 and 12

measure this factor

Sub Scales of Type-B Behavioural Pattern

1. Complacent behavior is the habit of enjoying everything. This factor is measured by items

5, 14, 15 and 16

2. Easygoing is the ability to work with relaxed mood and it is measured by items 4, 7, 12

and 13
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3. Non-assertive means the person is not bold enough to have attention of other persons.

Items 2 and 10 measure this factor

4.Relaxed persons tend to do everything with comfort not in hurry. This factor is measured

by items 1, 3 and 8

5. Patience is the ability to wait and work with ease and items 6, 9 and 11 measure this factor

Instructions for Administration and Scoring

1.The instructions printed on the scale are sufficient to answer the questions that are asked.

2.There is no time limit for completing the scale. However, most respondents take about 10

minutes to complete both the forms.

3.Before administering the scale, it is always better to emphasize verbally that responses

should be checked as quickly as possible and sincere cooperation is desirable for the same.

The respondents should be told that results of the scale will be helpful in self-knowledge and

in gaining insight over their behavioral orientation and the responses will be kept

confidential.

4. It is necessary to make clear to the respondents that there is no right or wrong answer to the

statements.

5. It should be emphasized that no statement should be left unanswered; all statements have

to be responded.

6. It is not desirable to tell the subjects the exact purpose for which the test is used.

7. Though the instructions are given on the scale and scale is self-administering, it has been

found useful to read out the printed instructions to the subjects.

8. It is convenient to undertake scoring manually, hence no scoring key is provided.

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9. Each statement should be scored 5 for strongly agree, 4 for agree, 3 for uncertain, 2 for

disagree and 1 for strongly disagree.

ii. Psychometric Properties

Reliability

The odd-even reliability of both the forms of the scale was determined by calculating

reliability coefficient, corrected for full length for a sample of 200 subjects. The reliability

coefficient of form A was found to be .54 and co- incidentally for form B also it was found to

be .54.

Validity

As all items in the scale are concerned with the personality types, the scale has high content

validity, besides face validity. Judges/experts also assessed that items of the scale were

directly related to the concept of personality types. The reliability index was calculated to

find out the validity from the coefficient of reliability and it was found to be .73 for both the

forms separately. The reliability index is considered to be a measure of validity (Garret,

1966).

Norms

Norms of the scale are available on a sample of working population (Table 7 and 8). These

norms can be considered as reference points for interpreting the Type A and Type B behavior

patterns. It is always better to develop norms based on a particular sample. Individuals with

very high scores on Form A may be considered as Type A personalities and individuals

having very high scores on Form B may be considered as Type B personalities. Normal range
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for Form ‘A’ is 46-60, 61 & above is the high range and 45 & below is the low range. For

form ‘B’, 46-58 is the normal range, 59 and above is the high range and 45 and below is the

low range.

MATERIAL

1.ABBP Scale

2.Test manual

3.Answer sheet

4.Scoring key

5.Stationary

6.Wooden screen

TEST ADMINISTRATION

The subject was called into the cubicle and the test administrator established rapport with

him/her and took a case history. The subject was given the test booklet to fill out the required

information. The test administrator then read the following instructions aloud as given in the

test booklet. Before permitting the subject to leave the testing room the administrator checked

carefully to see that every question had been marked with one and only one answer.

The test was administered to the subject, responses were scored with the help of manual, and

the subject’s score was calculated.

PRECAUTIONS

1.Instructions were read from the manual.

2.Rapport and case history was taken prior to conduction.

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3.Informed consent was obtained from the subject.

RESULT TABLE

Table 4

Title: The subjects score obtained on ABBP scale

Test Raw Interpretation

factors Scores

Type A 61 High

Type B 52 Normal

INTERPRETATION OF RESULTS

Type A/B behavioral pattern scale was administered to measure personality of the subject

who was given the test and his answers were scored.

ABBPS (Type A/B behavioral pattern scale) is a test of personality and Personality refers to

unique and relatively stable qualities that characterize an individual's behavior across

different situations over a period of time.

The subject who took the test is a 20-year-old male student in the third year of his B.A in

political science in Fergusson College and is preparing for his civil services examinations.

His hobbies are playing badminton and going to the gym.

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When Type A/B behavioral pattern scale was administered, it was seen that the subject

scored 61 in Type A personality and 52 in Type B personality. This clearly means that the

subject is more inclined towards Type A personality and has a normal range of Type B

personality.

Under Type A personality there are six traits- tenseness, impatience, achievement-orientation,

restlessness, domineering, workaholic.

1. Workaholic

It is one who has a tendency of doing something all the time. The subject’s case history

information is consistent with the test results when it comes to workaholic facet as he

reported that he is consistent with his studies, although sometimes he tends to relax one day

in a week and he scored six in the test that shows that he lies within the normal range of

workaholic sub-scale.

2. Achievement Orientation

It is the need to achieve something worthwhile whenever there is a possibil ity. The subject

has a tendency to be achievement oriented as he scored 11 which lies within normal range

and he reported that he does make a to-do list everyday but in his mind and does not write it

down. Also, he takes a break at least once a week.

3. Domineering

It is the sense of power over anything. The subject has a tendency to be domineering as he

stated that he tends to assert his will in a group and would take the lead if an opportunity is
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given but he would do so only for the betterment of the group. He scored 11 in domineering

facet in the test which lies within the normal range. So, for this facet as well the test results

are consistent with the case study.

4. Tenseness

It is the sense of time urgency. The subject reported that if things do not go as per his plans,

he tends to get frustrated but he tries to remain calm to find solutions. He scored 15 in

tenseness which lies within the normal range. Therefore, the results are consistent with case

study.

5. Restlessness

It means not feeling relaxed while working. The subject reported that he tends to overthink

and feels restless when things don’t go as per his plans or he is not able to achieve his goals

and that it is important for him to find solutions. He scored 11 in restlessness and it lies

within the high range. So, the results are again consistent.

6. Impatience

It means inability to wait calmly. The subject reported that while standing in a queue, he

sometimes gets impatient and frustrated, but he would do so if he has to. His score for

impatience in the test is seven which lies within the normal range. This is consistent with the

case history.

7.Complacent
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This behavior is the habit of enjoying everything. The subject scored 11 in this sub-scale

which means that he lies in the normal range which is consistent with his information in the

case history.

8.Easygoing

It is the ability to work with relaxed mood and the subject scored 11 in this sub scale which

means that he lies within the low range which shows that he is not easy-going. However, in

his case history he reported that once a week he takes a break which is inconsistent with the

results. There is a discrepancy between the test results and case history probably because the

subject might not be completely honest during the interview and gave socially desirable

answer or there might be a fear of judgement or there might be a lack of self-awareness.

9.Non-assertive

It means the person is not bold enough to have attention of other persons. The subject scored

13 in non- assertiveness which lies within the high range. However, the subject reported that

in case of a disagreement, he asserts his point of view, although at the same time he accepts

other’s opinions. So, the test results are inconsistent with the case history. The reason again

might be that the subject might not be completely honest during the interview and gave

socially desirable answer or there might be a fear of judgement or there might be a lack of

self-awareness.

10.Relaxed

These people tend to do everything with comfort, not in hurry. The subject scored eight and

he lies within the normal range which is consistent to his case history because he reported
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that he is consistent with his work and has a to-do list in mind everyday but he also tends to

take a break now and then.

11.Patience

It is the ability to wait and work with ease and the subject scored nine in this subscale which

indicates that he lies within the normal range. The test results are consistent with the case

history questions because the subject reported that while standing in a queue, he tends to get

frustrated and impatient, but he would do so if he has to.

CONCLUSION

When the test was administered, it was found that the subject was normal on Type B

personality because he scored 52 in it and was high on Type A personality because he scored

61 in it. The results were consistent with the case history in every sub-scale except easygoing

and non-assertiveness.

References

1. Bortner, R. W. (1969). A short rating scale as a potential measure of pattern A

behavior. Journal of Chronic Diseases, 22, 87-91

2. Devaney, S. A. (1990). The relationship between Type A behavior pattern and

exercise adherence. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 12(1), 41-52

3. Dhar, R. L., & Jain, A. (2001). Type A/B Behavioral Pattern Scale: To measure Type

A and Type B Personality. Asian Journal of Management, 6(3), 259-266.

4. Friedman, M., & Rosenman, R. H. (1974). Type A behavior and your heart. New

York: Knopf.
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5. Rosenman, R. H., Brand, R. J., Jenkins, D., Friedman, M., Straus, R., & Wurm, M.

(1975). Coronary heart disease in Western Collaborative Group Study: Final follow-

up experience of 8 1/2 years. Journal of the American Medical Association, 233(8),

872-877.