Attention to important versus trivial tasks and salience of fatigue-related symptoms for coronary prone individuals

The present study tested the hypothesis that individuals with the Type A coronary prone behavior pattern focus their attention more on important tasks, and less on trivial tasks than do Type B's. The study used a paradigm in which some subjects worked on math problems (important task) and rated intervening mood items (trivial task), whereas others rated mood items they were to memorize (important task) and worked on intervening math problems (trivial task). All subjects were later tested on recall of mood items. Results indicated that Type A's performed better on math problems and recalled more fatigue-related mood items when the task was important than when it was trivial; for Type B subjects, there was no difference in the number of math problems solved correctly or number of mood items recalled between important and trivial task conditions. Moreover, Type A's reported greater fatigue when mood recall was the important task than when math was the important task, whereas fatigue ratings of Type B's did not differ across these conditions. The findings suggest that Type A's suppress their attention to fatigue-related symptoms only when symptoms are not the objects of focus.     

Attributional style and the type A coronary-prone behavior pattern

The present two studies examined the attributional styles of Type A and B individuals. Past research suggests that Type A's exhibit greater performance deficits than Type B's following exposure to extended, salient uncontrollable stimuli. The reformulated learned helplessness model suggests that individuals most prone to such performance deficits should exhibit an attributional style characterized by internal, stable, and global attributions for negative outcomes, but external, unstable, and specific attributions for positive outcomes. However, a self-esteem protection explanation of learned helplessness findings predicts an opposite, self-serving attributional style. Results from both studies indicated that Type A's are more self-serving than Type B's in their attributions for positive and negative outcomes.     

Type A behavior and emotional responses to uncertainty: A test of the self-appraisal model

The self-appraisal model of Type A behavior holds that Type A's desire an accurate appraisal of abilities, and respond to uncertainty about abilities with exaggerated attempts to generate diagnostic information. The model also predicts that the major emotional response to uncertainty for Type A's is anxiety. In this study, Type A's and B's were induced to succeed or fail on a task where they were either very certain or very uncertain of their subsequent ability levels. Task failure produced greater depression, anger, and frustration for all subjects. Consistent with the self-appraisal model's prediction, uncertainty (regardless of success or failure) led to greater anxiety for Type A's than for Type B's. In fact, greater uncertainty produced lower anxiety for Type B's, indicating that Type A's and B's differ dramatically in their emotional responses to uncertainty about abilities.     

Type A behavior pattern and the judgment of noncontingency: mediating roles of mood and perspective

Past research indicates that Type A's and B's differ in their behavioral responses to lack of control. The present study examined perceptual judgments of noncontingency in an attempt to clarify further the role of a control dynamic in Type A-B differences. Type A's and B's assumed the role of either an actor or an observer on a standard contingency judgment task. Consistent with previous research, both Type A's and B's exhibited an illusion of control when in the role of actor. Only Type B's exhibited an illusion of control when observing another person perform the task. Additional analyses indicated that the absence of an illusion of control by Type A observers reflected accuracy rather than a motivational distortion. Mood was also found to mediate control judgments, but only for actors. The plausibility of a memory-based interpretation for the mood effects is discussed.     

Modification of Type A behavior through aerobic exercise

This psychophysiological evaluation of an aerobic exercise program examined specifically whether aerobic training modified Pattern A for those individuals at behavioral risk for developing coronary heart disease, i.e., young Type A individuals. At pretest and posttest of this secondary prevention study, Type A and Type B subjects were assessed in three conditions: aerobic exercise program, nonaerobic activity (Aikido, a martial art) control, and notreatment control. After 10 weeks, Type A but not Type B subjects exhibited lower Pattern A behavior in the aerobic program than in control conditions. Average workout pulse rates and differentially reliable increases in aerobic capacity indicated that aerobic training was indeed aerobic, whereas aikido activity was not. Even though selected nonaerobic factors, such as locus of control and group participation, did not mediate the Pattern A decrease for Type A's when comparing aikido and aerobic conditions, changes in aerobic capacity may have been the mediator. Generalizability of the results and implications for theoretical development and clinical intervention are discussed.     

Age and physiological, perceptual, and affective responses during walking at a self-selected pace

The aim of this study was to examine physiological, perceptual, and affective responses during self-paced walking for three age groups. 66 adult women were assigned into three groups by age: 20-25 yr. (n=22), 30-35 yr. (n=22), and 40-45 yr. (n=22). Each participant completed a maximal exercise test and a 20-min. bout of walking at a self-selected pace. The preferred walking speed was similar for all age groups, whereas physiological responses relative to maximal and ventilatory threshold values were greater in the 40-45 yr. group than the other two groups. Nevertheless, perceptual and affective responses were similar for all age groups. These findings suggest that physiological responses, but not perceptual and affective responses, of sedentary women are associated with age during walking at a self-selected pace.     

Current issues and new directions in Psychology and Health: The costs and benefits of self-regulation – a call for experimental research

Abstract

This study was designed to assess the effects of exercise on psychological functioning in healthy Type A men. Seventy-three middle-aged men (M=42.2 years) were randomly assigned either to an aerobic exercise (AE) training group or to a strength and flexibility (SF) training group. Subjects completed a comprehensive psychological assessment battery prior to beginning the 12-week exercise programs, and after completing the programs. The psychological test battery included measures of depression, anxiety and stress, as well as various psychiatric symptoms. In addition, subjects underwent graded exercise treadmill tests (ETT) at both times of measurement in order to document changes in cardiorespiratory fitness. Aerobic exercise training consisted of walking, jogging or stair-climbing at an intensity of at least 70% of initial measured maximal oxygen consumption (VO₂max determined during the treadmill test). Strength and flexibility training consisted of circuit Nautilus training with no aerobic exercise. Results at the conclusion of the 12-week programs indicated that [Vdot]O₂max for the AE group increased by 15%, while the SF group did not change. Both groups improved on measures of psychological well-being; however, there were no differential effects of the two exercise programs on measures of psychological functioning. These results suggest that improved cardiovascular fitness is not necessary for psychological improvement among exercise participants.     

The framingham Type A Scale: Cardiovascular and cognitive-behavioral responses to interpersonal challenge

Most of the primary measures of Type A behavior have been found to be associated with physiological reactivity to stressors, as well as coronary heart disease (CHD). While it does predict CHD, the Framingham Type A Scale (FTAS) has not been conclusively linked to physiological reactivity. Similarly, in contrast to other Type A measures, little is known concerning the cognitive behaviors associated with the FTAS in stressful situations. The present study was conducted to evaluate the cardiovascular and cognitive-behavioral responses to interpersonal challenge of Type A versus Type B subjects, as classified by the FTAS. Type A's evidenced increased systolic blood pressure (SBP) reactivity and a greater degree of negatively toned cognitive activity than did Type B's. The SBP findings are consistent with those obtained with other measures of Type A behavior, and with the hypothesis that neuroendocrine reactivity mediates the link between the behavior pattern and CHD. The somewhat unique cognitive-behavior findings, however, may reflect important psychological differences among the various Type A measures.Portions of this paper were presented at the meeting of the Society of Behavioral Medicine, Philadelphia, 1984.     

Walking patterns change rapidly following asymmetrical lower extremity loading

The purpose of this study was to determine the amount of time needed for individuals to become well accommodated to asymmetrical changes in lower extremity inertial properties. Participants walked at 1.57 m s(-1) during four separate data collection sessions over the period of eight days. On days 1 and 7, participants completed a 60 min treadmill protocol consisting of both overground (motion and ground reaction force recorded) and treadmill (vertical ground reaction force recorded) walking. On day 1, 1.95 kg was attached distally to one shank prior to the start of the 60 min treadmill protocol and was not removed until day 7. On day 7, the load was permanently removed prior to the 60 min treadmill protocol. On days 2 and 8 participants completed three overground walking trials and walked on the treadmill for approximately 5 min. Stance and swing time asymmetries appeared immediately and were complete following initial assessment after the load was attached. Net joint moments at the knee and hip were altered and continued to change beyond initial exposure to the load, but these changes were complete within 5 min. Overall, results suggest that changes in walking symmetry due to asymmetrical lower extremity loading are immediate and complete within 5 min of exposure to the load. We recommend that at least 5 min of walking or other normal activity be used to accommodate individuals to novel asymmetrical lower extremity loading.     

Informational determinants of females' self-attributions and observers' judgments of them in an achievement situation.

A female (A) received feedback about both her own and a male or female other's (B's) performance on an achievement task, and then estimated the likelihood that she and B possessed each of several attributes related to competence, likeableness, and physical attractiveness. The situation was witnessed by a male or female observer who then judged B's attributes and predicted A's and B's ratings of one another. A formulation of social inference processes developed by Gollob was used to identify and compare the informational cues used by actors and observers in making these attributions. The contributions of these cues depended substantially on the type of attribute being inferred, the judge (A or the observer), and whether the judgment was made of A or of B. A's behavior (i.e., her performance on the achievement task) contributed less to her self-attributions than it did either to her predictions of how B would rate her or to observers' actual judgments of her attributes. A's self-attributions tended to be relatively more influenced by her experiences before participating in the experiment. Whereas A appeared to use B's performance as a comparative standard when judging her own competence and expected B to do likewise, observers did not use B's performance in this manner when judging A. Moreover, A did not use her own performance as a standard when judging attributes of B. The article discusses theoretical implications of these results for attribution and self-perception processes.     

Type a Coronary-Prone behavior pattern and fear of failure

An experiment was conducted to examine the fear-of-failure orientation among individuals who exhibit a behavior pattern known as Type A Coronary-Prone behavior. The results indicate a tendency for Type A's (high coronary risks) to have a self-defensive motive of failure avoidance. It is suggested that fear of failure may be an explanation for the lack of symptom reporting previously observed in Type A's.     

Type a behavior,irritability, and cardiovascular response

Previous research suggests that high levels of hostility may augment the cardiovascular reactivity and risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) associated with Type A behavior. In contrast, other research indicates that the tendency to deny or suppress anger is associated with enhanced cardiovascular reactivity and risk of CHD. To delineate further the combined role of anger processes and Type A behavior in CHD risk, this study examined the interactive effects of Type A behavior and self-reported irritability on cardiovascular response to a challenging mental task. Type A and Type B college students were further classified as either high or low in self-reported irritability. Type A subjects who were low in self-reported irritability evidenced greater cardiovascular reactivity (i.e., systolic blood pressure and pulse rate) than did Type B subjects low in irritability. However, Type A subjects who were high in irritability tended to demonstrate less cardiovascular response than Type B subjects high in irritability. Further, Type A's low in self-reported irritability evidenced greater cardiovascular response than high-irritability Type A's. It is suggested that reduced reporting of irritability by Type A's may reflect suppression or denial, and further that this reduced reporting is associated with enhanced cardiovascular responsivity.     

A normative zone of RPE ratings for use during graded exercise testing

The purposes of this investigation were to identify a zone of normality for ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) and to compare the RPE responses in patients with coronary artery disease to this zone. The zone was generated from RPE estimated during the last minute of each stage of a Bruce treadmill test in 44 normal adult men. RPE were regressed against the corresponding MET level for each exercise stage. The zone was established as the 95% confidence interval (CI) spanning the average RPE vs MET regression line. RPE estimated during the last 1.0 min. of a Bruce or Modified Balke treadmill test administered to adult men (n=37) with coronary artery disease were compared to the 95% CI zone. A total of 19 (51%) of the coronary artery disease patients estimated RPE during a progressively incremented treadmill test that were above the zone, indicating a comparatively greater than normal perception of strain for a given metabolic stress. The presently generated zone provides a practical use of RPE in the interpretation of clinical exercise tests.     

Does the walking task matter? Influence of different walking conditions on dual-task performances in young and older persons

Previous literature suggests that age-related deficits of dual-task walking are particularly pronounced with second tasks that require continuous visual processing. Here we evaluate whether the difficulty of the walking task matters as well. To this end, participants were asked to walk along a straight pathway of 20 m length in four different walking conditions: (a) wide path and preferred pace; (b) narrow path and preferred pace, (c) wide path and fast pace, (d) obstacled wide path and preferred pace. Each condition was performed concurrently with a task requiring visual processing or fine motor control, and all tasks were also performed alone which allowed us to calculate the dual-task costs (DTC). Results showed that the age-related increase of DTC is substantially larger with the visually demanding than with the motor-demanding task, more so when walking on a narrow or obstacled path. We attribute these observations to the fact that visual scanning of the environment becomes more crucial when walking in difficult terrains: the higher visual demand of those conditions accentuates the age-related deficits in coordinating them with a visual non-walking task.     

Type D personality and cardiac output in response to stress

Type D personality is predictive of adverse clinical outcome and psychological distress in cardiac patients. However, the mechanisms by which Type D affects health are largely unknown. This study (1) investigated the relationship between Type D and cardiovascular reactivity to experimentally induced stress and (2) tested the influence of Type D on subjective feelings of stress. Eighty four healthy young adults (50% males, mean (SD) age 22 (6.84) years), completed measures of Type D personality, stress arousal and a stress-inducing procedure involving a taxing mental arithmetic task. Cardiovascular measures were recorded throughout the experiment. Mixed measures ANOVA showed a significant main effect of Type D and a significant group by time effect of Type D on cardiac output in male participants. Type D males exhibit significantly higher cardiac output during the stressor phase compared to non-Type D males. However, there was no relationship between Type D and cardiovascular reactivity in females. In addition, Type D individuals exhibited significantly higher feelings of subjective stress compared to non-Type D's. These findings provide new evidence on Type D and suggest that Type D may affect health through increased cardiac output and higher subjective feelings of stress following acute stress.     

Side by side treadmill walking reduces gait asymmetry induced by unilateral ankle weight

Asymmetric gait is a hallmark of many neurological and musculoskeletal conditions. This behavior is often the result of a decrease in the stability of interlimb coordination, and synchronization to external signals such as auditory cuing or another walking individual may be helpful for altering abnormal movement patterns. The purpose of this study was to investigate the interaction between interlimb coordination and unintentional, interpersonal synchronization of gait in healthy individuals in response to unilateral ankle loading. Fifty participants completed four trials while walking on a motorized treadmill: (1) by themselves, (2) with a partner on an adjacent treadmill, (3) by themselves with additional weight applied unilaterally to their right ankle, and (4) with both a partner and unilateral weight. As expected, the addition of unilateral weight increased asymmetry according to several spatiotemporal measures of gait, but the presence of a partner on an adjacent treadmill significantly reduced this effect. Further, the amount of unintentional, interpersonal synchronization among pairings was relatively unaffected by the addition of ankle weight to one of the partners. All pairings realized a beneficial effect on asymmetrical gait but this effect was greater for pairings that consistently synchronized unintentionally. These results suggest that side by side walking might be an effective approach for influencing bilateral coordination of gait and may hold insight for understanding gait asymmetry and interlimb movement variability.     

Musical pleasure beneficially alters stride and arm swing amplitude during rhythmically-cued walking in people with Parkinson's disease

Entrainment of walking to rhythmic auditory cues (e.g., metronome and/or music) improves gait in people with Parkinson's disease (PD). Studies on healthy individuals indicate that entrainment to pleasant musical rhythm can be more beneficial for gait facilitation than entrainment to isochronous rhythm, potentially as a function of emotional/motivational responses to music and their associated influence on motor function. Here, we sought to investigate how emotional attributes of music and isochronous cues influence stride and arm swing amplitude in people with PD. A within-subjects experimental trial was completed with persons with PD serving as their own controls. Twenty-three individuals with PD walked to the cue of self-chosen pleasant music cue, pitch-distorted unpleasant music, and an emotionally neutral isochronous drumbeat. All music cues were tempo-matched to individual walking pace at baseline. Greater gait velocity, stride length, arm swing peak velocity and arm swing range of motion (RoM) were found when patients walked to pleasant music cues compared to baseline, walking to unpleasant music, and walking to isochronous cues. Cued walking in general marginally increased variability of stride-to-stride time and length compared with uncued walking. Enhanced stride and arm swing amplitude were most strongly associated with increases in perceived enjoyment and pleasant musical emotions such as power, tenderness, and joyful activation. Musical pleasure contributes to improvement of stride and arm swing amplitude in people with PD, independent of perceived familiarity with music, cognitive demands of music listening, and beat salience. Our findings aid in understanding the role of musical pleasure in invigorating gait in PD, and inform novel approaches for restoring or compensating impaired motor circuits.     

Type A Personality Characteristics and the Effect on Individual and Team Academic Performance

Type A personality has been conceptualized in part as high need for achievement combined with aggression, hostility, and self-esteem issues. In teams of undergraduate business students, high levels of Type A personality significantly correlated with high levels of depression and high levels of social monitoring; and negatively correlated with social desirability, communality, and individual performance across time. In team settings, the more Type A's were balanced in a team with low Type A's, the more there was team commitment and the more team synergy behaviors; while if teams had a greater number of Type A's, there was more individualistic behavior, and team project scores were lower.     

Stress reactivity and exercise training in premenopausal and postmenopausal women.

Examined the influence of ovarian function on psychophysiological stress responses and determined if aerobic exercise reduced stress reactivity. Fifty premenopausal and postmenopausal women initially were subjected to a public speaking task and an ice-on-the-forehead procedure, during which time their blood pressure and heart rate were monitored and continuous blood samples were obtained. Subjects also underwent aerobic fitness evaluations with a maximum-exercise treadmill test. Subjects were then randomly assigned to a 12-week exercise program of either aerobic exercise (e.g., walking and jogging at a prescribed exercise intensity) or non-aerobic strength and flexibility training and were then reevaluated. Results indicated that postmenopausal women exhibited lower resting epinephrine levels but greater epinephrine reactivity to the speaking task compared to the premenopausal women. There were no differences between premenopausal and postmenopausal women with respect to cardiovascular or catecholamine responses during the cold challenge. Premenopausal and postmenopausal women also achieved comparable improvements in aerobic fitness. However, results of the mental stress testing were complex and provided only partial support for the role of aerobic exercise in reducing stress responses.     

The impact of speed and time on gait dynamics

To determine the effects of speed on gait previous studies have examined young adults walking at different speeds; however, the small number of strides may have influenced the results. The aim of this study was to investigate the immediate and long-term impact of continuous slow walking on the mean, variability and structure of stride-to-stride measures. Fourteen young adults walked at a constant pace on a treadmill at three speeds (preferred walking speed (PWS), 90% and 80% PWS) for 30 min each. Spatiotemporal gait parameters were computed over six successive 5-min intervals. Walking slower significantly decreased stride length, while stride period and width increased. Additionally, stride period and width variability increased. Signal regularity of stride width increased and decreased in stride period. Persistence of stride period and width increased significantly at slower speeds. While several measures changed during 30 min of walking, only stride period variability and signal regularity revealed a significant speed and time interaction. Healthy young adults walking at slower than preferred speeds demonstrated greater persistence and signal regularity of stride period while spatiotemporal changes such as increased stride width and period variability arose. These results suggest that different control processes are involved in adapting to the slower speeds.