Type A behaviour and psychological androgyny among Greek college students

Research conducted primarily in the United States suggests that the combination of Type A behaviour, high instrumentality, and low expressiveness may place individuals at relatively high risk for coronary-artery and heart disease. The present research investigates the trans-societal generalizability of the structure, reliability, relationships among, and distributional characteristics of these measures for 117 college students in Athens, Greece. As hypothesized, the Greek students were significantly less instrumental and less expressive than the American students, and scored significantly higher on the measure of Type A. Although there were significant mean differences between these samples, the results suggest that many of the interscale relationships are comparable, supporting an etic (universal) interpretation of the findings. Nevertheless, the results suggested several emic (unique) characteristics of these measures and their interrelationships.     

Interpersonal dominance and coronary prone behavior

Type A “coronary-prone behavior” is a risk factor for coronary artery and heart disease. Questionnaire research indicates that interpersonal dominance is one of the strongest behavioral correlates of the Type A behavior pattern, although little effort has been made to demonstrate a link between the behavioral manifestations of interpersonal dominance and Pattern A responding. This study was conducted to establish such a link. All possible combinations of extreme As (N = 42) and Bs (N = 42) were matched in dyads that negotiated extreme bipolar opposite positions on a “teacher dismissal” issue. Analysis of process and outcome behaviors suggested that type A individuals are unilaterally more dominant than their Type B counterparts. Possible physiological mechanisms mediating dominance and cardiovascular disease are discussed.     

Use in 1992 of tranquilizers and smokeless tobacco among Miami's public school students

This analysis examined tranquilizer use by 466 adolescents in Dade County, Florida public schools in 1992. Significant factors which increased the probability of use include that the adolescents were female, older students, peers' use of tranquilizers, ready access, and they lived alone. Smokeless tobacco use among 468 students was positively and significantly linked to peer influence, students being male, younger, living alone, and the availability of smokeless tobacco.     

Norms for college undergraduates for the Bem Sex-Role Inventory and the Wiggins Interpersonal Behavior Circle

Norms based on large random samples of introductory psychology college students are presented for the Bem Sex-Role Inventory (N = 1,133) and the Wiggins Interpersonal Behavior Circle (N = 564). The use of normative data, as compared with raw data or data standardized separately within studies, should result in more precise and meaningful measurement of subjects' locations on sex-role dimensions (i.e., instrumentality and expressiveness) by future researchers using these instruments, although norms should be updated to reflect future research results. Conventional definitions of moderately extreme and statistically extreme scores are presented for these instruments based on these norms, encouraging standardization of sample characteristics of future studies.     

Sex typing and the coronary-prone behavior pattern

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between sex-role orientation and the coronary-prone behavior pattern [Type A]. Ninety-six males and eighty-four females were administered the Bem Sex Role Inventory and the student version of the Jenkins Activity Survey. The results showed that, irrespective of sex, Type A subjects were significantly more instrumental (masculine) and less expressive (feminine) than Type B subjects. Consistent with previous research females were found to be more expressive than males; however, the sole predictor of instrumentality was A/B classification. The potential significance of these findings for refining predictions of coronary artery and heart disease is discussed and recommendations for future research are offered.Portions of this paper were presented at the Third Annual Meeting of the Society of Behavioral Medicine, Chicago, March 1982.     

Apolitical courts? Rape sentencing in Montana

This analysis examines dockets of the state courts of Montana for the years 1987-1989 in rape cases to determine whether sentencing decisions are significantly related to three political variables: the percentage of women in county executive office as a measure of a relevant judicial constituency, the extent to which the county in which a court is located is Democratic, and whether the judge who enters a decision was appointed or elected. The analysis suggests that two legally relevant facts—the crime rate and multiple charges against a defendant—are significantly related to outcome. Political factors do not appear to influence state court sentencing decisions in rape cases since: (1) sentencing decisions in rape cases are not ‘major’, publicized issues; (2) the selection of state court judges (appointed and elected) is nonpartisan; and (3) interest groups were not involved in rape sentencing cases.     

Narcotics Use Among Miami's Public School Students, 1992: No Restraints

This analysis examines narcotics use by 464 adolescents in Dade County, Florida public schools during 1992. Significant factors that tend to increase the probability of narcotics use include peer use of narcotics, that they are White, that they are male, and that they tend to be good students.     

Type A behavior and reminiscence in college undergraduates

This study represents the first empirical test of Friedman and Ulmer's (1984. Treating Type A behavior and your heart. New York: Fawcett) clinical observation that deficits in the capacity to reminisce about pleasant past events are among the most pervasive and dysfunctional correlates of Type A behavior. Type A (N = 79) and B (N = 109) college undergraduates completed a questionnaire assessing the frequency, content, style, and consequences of their reminiscence about positive past experiences. Findings supported two hypotheses: relative to Type Bs, Type As were less likely to report that they consciously look back on positive events after these events are over in order to store details for later recall, and were more likely to report that they typically reminisce about past achievements. Contradicting Friedman and Ulmer's observations, however, there were no significant A/B differences in the reported frequency, style, or consequences of recalling positive memories. The findings are discussed in terms of components of Type A behavior, such as competitive achievement-striving and self-esteem enhancement, that may make Type As (a) less likely to store, but not to recall, positive memories and (b) particularly likely to reminisce about personal accomplishments. Plausible reasons for the relative lack of support for Friedman and Ulmer's hypotheses are discussed in the context of directions for future research.     

LSD use among Miami's public school students

This analysis examined LSD use by 492 adolescents in Dade County, Florida public schools in 1992. Significant factors which increase the probability of use include the fact that the adolescents are Euro-American, peers' use of tranquilizers, ready access, and awareness of the risks.