Abstract
The recognized association between Type A behavior and coronary heart disease has prompted efforts to alter the behavior's deleterious components in both individuals who have experienced myocardial infarction and those who are at risk for that disease. Utilizing concepts from psychology, sociology, history, and other disciplines and material from scholarly and popular literature, this paper suggests that instead of singularly concentrating on components at the level of the individual, it is important to view Type A behavior from an ecological perspective, with attention directed at the interpersonal, institutional, and cultural environments of individuals. This perspective will enhance understanding of Type A behavior and possibly stimulate interventions at the primary as well as secondary and tertiary prevention levels.
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The coauthors would like to thank Brenda DeVellis, Michel Ibrahim, Lynda Powell, Meyer Friedman, and two anonymous reviewers for comments on an early draft of the manuscript. The Bush Institute for Child and Family Policy of the University of North Carolina provided support for the first and third coauthors and the Research Triangle Institute provided support for the second coauthor.
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Margolis, L.H., McLeroy, K.R., Runyan, C.W. et al. Type A behavior: An ecological approach. J Behav Med 6, 245–258 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01315112
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01315112