Personality a and b

Difference Between Type A and Type B Personality (with Comparison Chart)

Based on personality, people can be bifurcated into two categories i.e. Type A personality and Type B personality. It is the most common individual-level stressor and explains two different types of personality. These are known to influence the possibility of an individual’s acquiring health-related problems like heart ailments. Type A people are highly competitive, self-critical. They continuously strive for goals without paying much attention to efforts and accomplishments.

On the other extreme, Type B individuals are usually more tolerant, relaxed, reflective than Type A. So, if you are concerned about which personality type you carry, take a glance at the article excerpt and identify yourself. It may also help to understand the difference between the two.

Content: Type A Personality Vs Type B Personality

Comparison Chart
Definition
Key Differences
Concept
Video
Conclusion

Comparison Chart

Basis for Comparison	Type A Personality	Type B Personality
Meaning	Type A personality is one which is stress prone, in a hurry, impatient and fast in whatever they do.	Type B personality is one which is less stress prone patient, relaxed and easy going.
Nature	Sensitive and proactive	Reflective and innovative
Patience level	Low	High
Temperament	Short-termpered	Even-tempered
Competition	Highly-competitive	Less-competitive
Multitasking	Does several things at a time.	Does one thing at a time.
Stress level	High	Low
Time constraints	Encounters pressure because of time constraints	Is not affected by time constraints.

Definition of Type A Personality

Type A personality implies a temperament which is stress-prone, concerned with time management. They are ambitious, rigidly organised, hard-working, anxious, highly status-conscious, hostile and aggressive. Individuals who possess Type A personality have the following behavioural patterns:

They move, walk and eat fast.
Great at multitasking.
Self-driven feels guilty when relaxing.
Feels impatient with the pace of things, dislikes waiting.
They have a busy schedule and does not have time to enjoy life.
Uses nervous gestures, like a clenched fist or banging hand on the table.
They are high-achievers, perform beyond par.
They do not easily accept failure.

Definition of Type B Personality

Type B personality is one that is less prone to stress, easy going, work steadily, enjoy achievement, modest ambition, and live in the moment. They are social, creative, thoughtful, procrastinating. Individuals who possess a Type B personality are associated with the following behavioural traits:

They are not concerned about time.
They compete for fun, not to win.
Mild-mannered.
Never in a hurry and has no pressing deadlines.
Does not brag.
Focus on quality rather than quantity.
Laidback and live a stress-less life.

Key Differences Between Type A and Type B Personality

The fundamental differences between Type A and Type B personality are given as under:

Type A personality is one which is stress-prone, in a hurry, impatient and fast in whatever they do. Type B personality is one which is less stress-prone patient, relaxed, easy-going and lacks time-urgency.
Type A individuals tend to be sensitive and proactive. On the other hand, type B individuals tend to be reflective and creative in nature.
Type A individuals are impatient while Type B people are just the opposite of it.
When it comes to temperament, type A personality is short-tempered, whereas type B personality is even-tempered.
Type A individuals are highly competitive. In contrast, Type B individuals focus more on enjoying the game rather than winning and losing.
The person who possesses a type A personality can do several things at a time. Unlike, type B personality individuals who can do one thing at a time.
The stress level of type A individuals is typically higher than type B individuals.
Time constraints strongly affect type A individuals as they are pressurised by it. As opposed to type B individuals who are not affected by it.

Concept

The concept of Type A and Type B Personality was coined by two American Cardiologist Meyer Friedman and Ray H. Rosenman, in the year 1976. In their study, they discovered that people with Type A personality are likely to suffer coronary artery disease in their later life.

Further, in 2012, the American Journal of Public Health published a paper by Mark Pattricrew and others of the UK that the previous study was funded by Tobacco companies and the personality types have nothing to do with heart diseases.

Video: Type A Vs Type B Personality

Conclusion

So, with the above discussion, you might have identified, as to which personality type is yours. If you belong to type A personality, you need to be more cautious as they are more prone to heart diseases as compared to type B individuals. These two personality types are diametrically opposite of each other wherein one dislike failure and work hard to avoid it, while one is not even affected by it.

Understanding the 4 Personality Types: A, B, C, and D

Each person is a unique combination of four personality types. Over the centuries, these basic categories have gone by several names and designations, but for our purposes, they're known as the director, the socializer, the thinker, and the supporter. As shorthand, though, we refer to those types of personality as A, B, C, and D, respectively.

Learning how to identify people by personality type can bring a higher level of understanding to interpersonal relationships and team building, especially for employers looking for ways to avoid bad hires and reduce turnover. Indeed, a good personality test may be the most valuable tool in a hiring manager's toolbox.

Table of Contents:

Type A personality
Type A vs. Type B personality
Type B personality
Type C personality
Type D personality
Type X personality
Other personality types and theories

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What is a Type A personality?

A Type A personality likes to be in control of their environment and their lives. They're normally not very detail-oriented, choosing to delegate details to others. They're usually very goal-oriented and practical in their solutions. They arrive at solutions and goals with a no-nonsense, bottom-line approach.

Type A personality characteristics

While some Type A personality traits vary from person to person, certain traits are common. The best example of a Type A personality is someone who is:

Take-charge and highly competitive
Fast-paced and impatient
Entrepreneurial, workaholic
Embraces change
Ambitious
Works well independently
Passionate but short-fused
Demands maximum freedom
Dominant and stubborn
Multitasking

What are other names for the Type A personality?

Here are some other names for and best examples of Type A personalities.

Personality Tests & Approaches	Type A Personality Name
The Hire Success^® System	Director
Hippocrates	Choleric (bodily humor: yellow bile)
Plato	Guardian
Jung	Sensor
DISC	D; Direct/Controlling
Insight	Blue
Myers-Briggs	ESTJ, ENTJ, ENFP
Enneagram	Adventurer/Achiever
PSI	Controller
Biblical character	Paul
Cartoon/comic characters	Lucy (from Peanuts) / Rabbit (from Winnie the Pooh)

How to test Type A personality

A Hire Success^® Type A personality test assesses behavioral characteristics. You'll get an idea of how well positive aspects like drive, perfectionism and ability to work independently balance negatives like impatience, hostility and low empathy. The test is quick, easy and even fun for employees-and gives you valuable hiring and managing insights.

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Type A personality at work

When it comes to work personality types, employees with Type A personalities can typically be identified by the following traits:

Goal-oriented
Risk-taking
Good under stress
Works well independently
Direct management style
Good delegation skills
Good administrative skills
Workaholic

Type A personalities don't like a lot of restraints or restrictions placed on them. Instead, they prefer to work independently and set their own schedules. Since they tend to be workaholics, it's not unusual to see them put in whatever time and effort it takes to accomplish their goals. They may seem impatient at times, especially if they believe someone is spending too much time going over details with them or impeding their stride.

Don't be surprised to see this personality type in a supervisory position or management. Having an entrepreneurial streak, they may be a business owner or strive to own their own business someday. Type A personalities are confident and not easily discouraged.

Pros and cons of hiring Type A personality

If a Type A personality sees their day-to-day job as routine or repetitive, they'll get bored easily and won't enjoy the work. They'll want others to view them as tough in these situations, but internally they may be miserable if the job is too routine. Dominant in nature, Type A personalities will do whatever is necessary to prevent themselves from falling into patterns or routines and seek freedom instead. They'll also be very dissatisfied if they believe someone is trying to manipulate them.

A Type A personality may not be very good at recognizing coworker's feelings and needs. They're extremely focused on achieving their goals and may not notice. If you're looking for someone who works well under pressure and seems to excel in high-stress situations, the Type A personality is the best pick.

How to deal with Type A personality at work

Managing employees with type A personality traits at work is a balance. They can be valuable in terms of problem solving and productivity, but when unmanaged, can be disruptive. Managing motivations and situations is the key.

What motivates a Type A personality?

Money
Opportunity
Freedom
Favorable risk-reward ratio
Challenges
Urgency
Success
Leadership

What are some common words or phrases that motivate or grab the attention of the Type A personality?

"Let's get it done."
Fast
Results
Immediate/today/now
The bottom line
"What do you think about ___?"
"The best (newest, cutting-edge, etc. )"
Take the challenge
Great return on investment

What are the turnoffs, dislikes, and fears of the Type A personality?

Touchy-feely things
Long explanations or descriptions
Explaining things in emotional terms or more than once to the same person
Looking vulnerable
Falling into routines
Being manipulated
Losing

Which jobs attract a Type A personality?

The best careers for Type A personality include:

President/CEO
General contractor
Salesperson or sales manager
Business owner
Politician
Entrepreneur
Police/military officer
Manager
Executive

Type A vs. Type B personality

Having a mix of personalities on your team and ensuring that they mesh will help your department or company truly excel. Understanding a Type A vs. Type B personality will help you get the balance right between these two working styles.

Pair goal-oriented, future-thinking Type A people with agreeable and present-focused Type Bs.

Controlling Type As can be complimented by Type Bs who work on forging strong relationships.

Self-motivated Type As can keep Type Bs, who are driven by others on the team, focused in the right direction.

It helps to understand both personality types when balancing out teams. Here is a deep dive into what a Type B personality is.

What is a Type B personality?

The Type B personality is a very outgoing, energetic and fast-paced individual who likes to be around people and enjoys being the center of attention. They're good relationship-builders and most people like them right away. Their driving need is for approval, so they try to like everyone in hopes everyone will like them, too. Compliments, acknowledgement of their achievements, words of admiration, and even applause from these groups are the most important thing you can do for them.

Type B personality traits

Like Type A personalities, Type B personality characteristics can also vary by individual. The best example of Type B personality is someone who is:

Enthusiastic and fun-loving
Persuasive
Friendly
Charismatic and confident
Idea person, dreamer
Short attention span
Motivator
Spontaneous and impulsive
Procrastinator

What are other names for the Type B personality?

Personality Tests & Approaches	Type B Personality Name
The Hire Success^® System	Socializer
Hippocrates	Sanguine (bodily humor: blood)
Plato	Artisan
Jung	Intuitor
DISC	I; direct/supporting
Insight	Green
Myers-Briggs	ENTJ, ENTP, INTJ, INTP
Enneagram	Helper/romantic
PSI	Promoter
Biblical character	Peter
Cartoon/comic characters	Snoopy (from Peanuts) / Tigger (from Winnie the Pooh)

How to test Type B personality

The Hire Success^® Type B personality test helps you assess how a given person will fit within your culture and teams. While you may make you feel comfortable surrounding yourself with people like you, it's better to have a good balance of personalities on your team.

This test lets you find Type B personality traits like being easy-going, optimistic, creative and a team player with weaknesses like being impulsive, needy of validation, and procrastinating. The test is easy and gives you valuable insights for hiring and managing potential team members.

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Type B personality at work

Employees with Type B personalities can typically be identified by the following traits:

Relationship-oriented
Outgoing
Enthusiastic
Doesn't finish what was started
May try to do too much at once
Easily bored
Easily liked by most people

Type B personalities love to talk about themselves. Some may view that as self-centered, but a Type B's real motivation is to be liked. For an extreme example, Bette Midler in the movie Beaches invited an old friend up to see her lavish apartment and told her about her great success. She said to the friend: "Enough about me. Let's talk about you. So, what do you think of me?"

The Type B personality's biggest fear is being humiliated in public, since that might make many people disapprove of them. It could be traumatic for them. The B personality doesn't want to appear unattractive or unsuccessful either, so they'll hide any weakness.

Pros and cons of hiring Type B personality

Some of the strengths you can count on from the Type B personality are their enthusiasm, outgoing behavior, friendliness, and their ability to persuade even the most skeptical of people. They tend to be dreamers and can often turn those dreams into very practical ideas in the workplace. Type B personalities are spontaneous and use their quick wit and humor to make people like them. They aren't very good about hiding their own feelings either, so if they're hurt or disappointed, you'll probably be able to read it in their mannerisms and overall disposition.

Some of the natural weaknesses associated with the Type B personality include being impatience, a short attention span, and not being very detail-oriented. In business, Type B personalities may tend to over-socialize and not spend as much time doing their work because they strive for social interaction. During the hiring process, they may be inclined toward unstructured, rambling interviews rather than structured ones, and bad interviews can lead to bad hires. Despite their natural tendency, many Type B personalities have learned to keep their counterproductive impulses in check while benefiting from the positives.

How to deal with Type B personality at work

Put Type B people on teams and spend time working with them directly. Avoid putting them in a solitary position with little interaction because they're most effective in collaborative situations. They're also ideal for positions where they must interact with customers or suppliers and thrive in social settings.

What motivates a Type B personality?

Public recognition
Awards, plaques, certificates
Having picture taken with celebrities
Succeeding, especially beyond peers
Being the center of attention, public speaker, director, etc.
Acceptance
The latest styles and/or trends

What are some common words or phrases that motivate or grab the attention of the Type B personality?

"You look great."
"You're the best ____."
"People love you."
"This will be fun."
Entertaining

What are the turnoffs, dislikes, and fears of the Type B personality?

Public humiliation
Being unappreciated
Appearing uninvolved
Nonsocial types
Appearing unattractive
People and things that distract attention
Appearing unsuccessful
Appearing unacceptable

The best careers for Type B personality include:

Public relations
Salesperson
Entertainment
Personnel interviewer
Professional host(ess)
Politician
Recreation director
Party planner
Customer service/relations

What is a Type C personality?

The Type C personality is a very detail-oriented individual who likes to be involved in things that are controlled and stable. They're interested in accuracy, rationality, and logic. People who can't seem to control their emotions will bother them because Type C personalities believe being emotional makes objectivity difficult. They also dislike being around people who are full of hype, since they desire facts, accuracy and logic. Other people's emotions may not be a priority for them, as they tend to strive for the facts and let the chips fall where they may.

Type C personality characteristics

Type C personalities come with considerable variations, however, the best example of a Type C personality is someone who is:

Accuracy and detail-oriented
Creative
Dependable
Skeptical
Independent and can appear anti-social
Lawful
Organized
Analytical and critical
Worried about progress
Detached and disengaged

What are other names for the Type C personality?

Personality Tests & Approaches	Type C Personality Name
The Hire Success^® System	Thinker
Hippocrates	Melancholic (bodily humor: black bile)
Plato	Scientist
Jung	Thinker
DISC	C; indirect/controlling
Insight	Gold
Myers-Briggs	ESTJ, ESFJ, ISTJ, ISFJ
Enneagram	Asserter/perfectionist
PSI	Analyst
Biblical character	Moses
Cartoon/comic characters	Linus (from Peanuts) / Eeyore (from Winnie the Pooh)

How to test Type C personality

The Hire Success^® Type C personality test helps you find people with traits in this cluster. You will be able to quickly assess the positives, like detail-oriented focus, ability to work alone, troubleshooting and planning skills. You will be able to manage the negatives like social inhibition, conflict avoidance and anxiety.

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Type C personality at work

People with Type C personalities can typically be identified by the following traits:

Detail-oriented
Logical
Prepared
Likes to do things their own way
Worry about progress
May never have personal expectations met
Quality control

Type C personalities tend to be quite controlling, both of themselves and others. They don't like things to get out of hand and may appear stoic because they don't really want themselves to display a lot of emotion. They're very outcome-driven and will be sticklers for following protocol.

They're careful, resourceful, and, above all, excellent thinkers who will look at all aspects of an issue before taking a stand. Once they take a stand on an issue, though, they'll have the facts to back it up, so anyone who challenges them better be prepared. If you have a Type C personality on your job candidate shortlist, you'll want to prepare some thoughtful interview questions if you don't want a carefully rehearsed response.

Pros and cons of hiring Type C personality

Type C personalities like their jobs to be clearly defined and want to know their expectations. Knowing those facts, they will be able to prioritize their tasks and see them through to completion.

In managerial roles, they're cautious and logical and require many details and facts before they make a decision. People who try to sell them something with emotion usually fail. The Type C personality would consider such an effort to be hype and would wonder what facts the other person is trying to hide.

In more public roles, Type C personalities will strive for originality, cleverness and uniqueness in all things. Because of their detailed orientation, they're meticulously prepared to defend their decisions against any possible objections. Many accountants and lawyers are Type C personalities. They're excellent for any job that requires creative thinking based on patience, facts and accuracy.

How to deal with Type C personality at work

Those with Type C personality traits can play valuable roles on your team. They're motivated to handle important tasks that require determination and an eye for detail. They're less comfortable in leadership positions and prefer to work alone.

What motivates a Type C personality?

Control
Opportunities to be independent and analytical
Challenges
Problem-solving

What are some common words or phrases that motivate or grab the attention of the Type C personality?

Perfection
"How does that work?"
Quiet, solitude
"Tell me more about ____."

What are the turnoffs, dislikes, and fears of the Type C personality?

Uncontrolled emotions
Irrational acts
Indecision
People who are self-centered, or self-aggrandizement
Loss of control
Being subject to control or supervision by people they don't trust or respect
Distractions or distracting people

Which jobs attract a Type C personality?

The best careers for Type C personality include:

Forecaster
Troubleshooter
Critic
Investigator (police, crime scene, private, etc. )
Engineer
Technical support
Research scientist
Game designer
Data analyst
Pilot
Programmer/analyst
Artist
Actuary
Musician
Accountant/auditor
Inventor

What is a Type D personality?

A Type D personality takes a slower, easier pace toward their work and life in general. They seek security and longevity on the job and are very happy doing a repetitive task day in and day out. The repetition allows them to become very skilled. Likewise, they won't like it if the rules change a lot. That's contrary to their desire to minimize change and stick with what they know works. For the Type D personality, even though the current way may be unpleasant, they worry that the unknown may be even worse.

Type D personality traits

As with the previous personalities, you'll find plenty of variation with Type D people. The best example of a Type D personality is someone who is:

Shy, low-key and observant
Caring
Sincere
Consistent, dependable
Calm and stable
Fair and equitable
Looks approachable
Avoiding confrontation
Resistant to change
Self-confident

What are other names for the Type D personality?

Personality Tests & Approaches	Type D Personality Name
The Hire Success^® System	Supporter
Hippocrates	Phlegmatic (bodily humor: phlegm)
Plato	Philosopher
Jung	Feeler
DISC	S; indirect/supporting
Insight	Orange
Myers-Briggs	ESTP, ESFP, ISTP, ISFP
Enneagram	Peacemaker/observer
PSI	Supporter
Biblical character	Abraham
Cartoon/comic characters	Charlie Brown (from Peanuts) / Winnie the Pooh

How to test Type D personality

Because Type D personalities are anything but easy going, finding out what makes them tick can help you get the most from hiring this type. While they're highly trustworthy, compassionate, and deep thinkers, they can suffer from low self-confidence and pessimism. The Hire Success^® Type D personality test will help you find the right place for them on your team.

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Type D personality at work

People with Type D personalities can typically be identified by the following traits:

Task-oriented
Stabilizing
Cautious
Going along when they don't agree
Easily used by others
Uncomfortable with constant change
Good at routines or repetitive tasks

They seek the respect, sincere admiration, and acceptance of others. The Type D personality will gladly work hard to please the people they work for as long as they feel appreciated and receive plenty of reassurance that they're needed. They need that sense of security. Type D personalities often think the Type A personality is crazy for taking so many risks and not showing much concern for security and longevity.

Pros and cons of hiring Type D personality

People with Type D personality traits are usually very organized; being around a messy environment or disorganization will bother them. They're also good at playing a very supportive role with others and are normally very caring, thoughtful, and compassionate. They're patient, tend to be good listeners and will persevere when all others have given up. A stabilizing force, they especially like working in a group or on a team.

Although they may not be as fast as others, they're accurate and thorough. They'll usually keep their feelings to themselves and are reluctant to express themselves, even if a more assertive type seems to be taking advantage of them. They tend to go along with anything.

To attract the Type D personality in a job ad, be sure to talk about the company benefits package and the long-term growth potential within the company. Having a secure, stable environment will be very important to Type D personalities.

How to deal with Type D personality at work

Managing a Type D personality takes some finesse. You cannot let their natural pessimism and social comfort issues bring down the team. Their hard-working nature, compassion and honesty are valuable strengths. They're keen at observation and think things through, so they can be valuable at solving problems and reducing risk.

What motivates a Type D personality?

Stability
Benefits
Security
Low risk
Routine
Team/group opportunities
Calm work atmosphere

What are some common words or phrases that motivate or grab the attention of the Type D personality?

"Help others in need"
Relaxed atmosphere
Logical
Rational

What are the turnoffs, dislikes, and fears of the Type D personality?

Risks
Pushy people
Change (especially frequent change)
Instability
Disorganization
Aggressive behavior
Disruption in routine
Surprises
The unknown
Conflict

Which jobs attract a Type D personality?

Considering the benefits they bring to your organization, the best careers for Type D personality include:

Secure team position
Administrator
Financial services
HR manager
Social worker
Bureaucrat
Family doctor/nurse
Assembly line worker
Residential/community services
Mechanic
Teacher
Counselor
Personal assistant/secretary
Minister
Insurance agent
Supervisor
Librarian
Security guard
Customer service representative

What is a Type X personality?

Whenever two or more personality types are equal in strength within a person, that person is considered a Type X personality. For example, if an individual's two highest-strength personality types were A and B, they might be identified as AX and BX. In the rare event that all four personality types were identical, that person would be considered simply as a Type X personality.

Type X personality traits

The X indicates a cross or an intersection of two or more types. It's not unusual to see the X between two of the four personality types, and it doesn't necessarily have to include the primary personality. However, when it does include the primary personality, the individual in question may have a tendency to be like one type in one situation and the other type in another. When all four temperaments are very close in strength, the individual may seem like a mixture of personalities.

This can be beneficial for many jobs, especially when it's important that the person gets along with almost everybody, such as consultative sales people. The Type X personality tends to change personality "colors" as needed based on their surroundings. Although unpredictable at times, this rare combination could be an important asset if fully utilized.

How many personality types are there?

Depending on the model, you can have just four or five personality types or sixteen or more. Here are the most common ways of categorizing personalities.

The Big Five personality traits

This model looks at how a person thinks, feels and behaves. What is called “openness to experience” refers to curiosity and creativity. "Conscientiousness" measures affinity for organization and responsibility. Measuring "extraversion" provides insight as to sociability and being assertive. "Agreeableness" refers to getting along with people, being compassionate and showing respect. Finally, things like anxiety and depression are measured by "neuroticism".

Myer-Briggs Type Indicator

This test measures how people perceive their worlds, make decisions, and interact with others. It's not ideal as a pre-employment test because it can be easily manipulated. People can guess what answers might seem most desirable for a given role. It also outputs rather complex results, making it impractical for hiring and managing people.

16 Personality Types

The Myers-Briggs^® model identifies four personality trait clusters that can combine in multiple ways, leading to sixteen distinct combinations. While valid results can be fascinating, they're just not practical or reliable for managing teams. The Type A B C D personality test model that Hire Success^® uses evaluates 20 different trait scales independently, providing three-dimensional insight in a simple format. It reveals the individual without forcing them into one of four boxes.

How to use the 4 basic personality types: A, B, C, and D

Expect similar descriptions printed on the Hire Success^® Overview Report. Each applicant is instructed to respond to the Hire Success^®Personality Profile form based on how they work. The results will indicate which of the four personality types they draw from most. The system automatically provides a description of the primary personality at the beginning of the Overview Report. Variations of the above will be printed if the test taker is a combination of more than one personality type, or a Type X. You can compare the results against the baseline you developed to help speed up your hiring process.

In the Summary Report, a bar chart is provided along with a percentage, or strength, of each of the four personality types. The higher the percentage, the more dominant that personality type. When two or more types of personality are close, or the same, in strength, the applicant may be characteristic of both types.

These Type A, B, C, and D personality descriptions are classic descriptions designed to provide you with some background information about a personality. The Hire Success^® system uses these descriptions for contrast to the specific descriptions and values found in the traits section of the report. In many cases, the applicant's individual traits may differ from what you may see described in the overall personality description.

The Hire Success^® system determines traits independently and doesn't base trait information on what might be expected from a particular personality type. The inclusion of these expanded traits is one of the ways the Hire Success^® system differs from other systems, like Myers-Briggs^®, and opens the door to highlight those differences that make the applicant a unique individual — not one squeezed into one of four boxes. If and when you see a trait differ from what might be described in the personality overview, it's not a mistake. It's most likely the trait you can expect to see from the applicant on a day-to-day basis and not just an expectation based on a traditional Type A, B, C, or D personality description.

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Type A and B behavior in humans. Wait, who's leading? [Biology of human behavior and other animals]

Type A and B behavior in humans

^{Fig. 6.10. Both characters are behavioral type A. Although the radio host from the movie "The Fifth Element" is not inclined to resolve conflicts by shooting and, moreover, is frankly cowardly, he belongs to behavioral type A, like the hero of Bruce Willis. His aggressiveness is manifested in the manner of communicating with people. In addition, he is frankly ambitious (the first question to assistants after the end of the broadcast: “How did everything go?”) And socially active - other people do not work as radio hosts}

Type A includes people who are characterized by such traits as aggressiveness, ambition, social activity. Type B - non-aggressive, non-ambitious and not prone to social activity people. It should be noted that aggressiveness is understood here in the broadest sense of the word - as a constant desire to reduce the distance of communication (for more details, see Chapter 7). Therefore, a prominent representative of behavioral type A is not only d'Artagnan Dumas, but also Gogol's Nozdrev, who quickly switches to "you" with Chichikov, who is barely familiar to him, and immediately indulges in unnecessary revelations, declaring to his interlocutor: "If I were your boss, I would hung you. " In everyday life, such people are called unceremonious. Note that Type A people are not necessarily inclined to resolve disputes with violence. The students gave as an example people of type A and B of the characters of the movie "The Fifth Element" - the hero Bruce Willis and the radio host (Fig. 6.10). This is mistake. Aggression does not necessarily manifest itself in a tendency to cause physical harm to the opponent, as the hero of Bruce Willis constantly does.

If there are many people with type A behavior both in life and in literature, more precisely, they are striking and easy to describe, then it is much more difficult to give an example of a literary hero with behavioral type B. People of this mental warehouse, by definition, remain in the shadows. In tense moments accompanied by stress, type B people do not take active actions, do not make decisive decisions and try to be as inconspicuous as possible. They do not provide the writer with such abundant material as the colorful carriers of type A. One can point to the numerous "humiliated and insulted" F. M. Dostoevsky. But this example is vulnerable to criticism, since it is reasonable to argue that the behavior of these people is the result of chronic social stress, i.e., learned helplessness. For example, Sonya Marmeladova grew up with an alcoholic father. For children, an alcoholic in the family is a source of constant uncontrollable stress, since it is not known what stage of intoxication he will be in when the child returns home. Therefore, most likely, Sonya demonstrated learned helplessness.

Students often call Oblomov "a typical representative of type B behavior." One cannot agree with this opinion. I. Goncharov's novel describes in sufficient detail the childhood of Ilya Ilyich, how his parents constantly protected him from any effort and stress - both physical and mental and emotional. In addition, during the period of falling in love, Oblomov was by no means modest, but very energetic, assertive and eloquent. Therefore, most likely, Oblomovism is the result of the influence of the environment, and not the innate personality traits of the hero of Goncharov's novel.

Behavioral type A is characterized by three "A": aggressiveness, ambition, activity in public life. Behavioral type B is characterized by opposite qualities: low aggressiveness, low ambition, low activity in public life

One of the brightest examples of behavioral type B is Tsarevich Alexei. The roots of his drama are not that his political views were shaped by the opponents of Peter the Great, but that he belonged to a psychological type that was completely unacceptable to the lifestyle that his father forced him to, a style that requires constant decision-making and the most energetic implementation of them. . But here, too, everything cannot be attributed to the innate characteristics of the prince, since Alexei was born from an unloved wife and grew up without a father, which could not but affect his behavior in adulthood.

Of whom it can be said with certainty that he had innate characteristics of type B behavior, it is Quintus Fabius Maximus Cunctator. He saved Rome from Hannibal with a strategy of waiting. Without entering into a decisive battle, Hannibal blocked the way for maneuvers and supplying the army. This strategy turned out to be effective, Hannibal had to leave Italy, and Fabius Maxim received the honorary nickname of the Kunktator - Slower. Note that the same strategy developed by Barclay de Tolly was implemented in 1812 by M. I. Kutuzov. And here is what Plutarch writes in the biography of Fabius Maximus (I):

... nickname - Ovikula, which means "Sheep", he was given as a child for his meek disposition and slowness. Calm, silent, he was extremely moderate and cautious in the pleasures inherent in childhood, slowly and with great difficulty assimilated what he was taught, easily yielded to his comrades and obeyed them, and therefore instilled suspicions in strangers in lethargy and stupidity, and only a few guessed in his nature the depth, steadfastness and greatness of the spirit - in a word, something like a lion. But soon, prompted by circumstances, he proved to everyone that his imaginary inactivity speaks of being beyond the control of passions, caution - of prudence, and insufficient speed and mobility - of unchanging, most reliable constancy.

The characteristic given by Plutarch fully corresponds to the behavior of type B, and the indication that all its features were manifested from early childhood gives every reason to speak of an innate behavioral type B in Cunktator.

For behavioral type A, the basis of the stress reaction is the secretion of adrenaline, and for behavioral type B, cortisol

The division of people into types A and B was proposed not by psychologists or psychiatrists, but by cardiologists M. Friedman and R. Rosenman in 1959 They were the first to point out that Type A people are several times more likely to develop coronary heart disease, the leading cause of death in developed countries.

Although type A or B behavior is primarily a style of behavior in a stressful situation, it also appears in situations with a low level of novelty. It is enough to place experimental animals in a stressful environment, and the type of motor reaction will be obvious. A person's belonging to a particular type is determined using questionnaires. In addition, it is recommended to pay attention to the behavior of the test-taker during the interview. One of the authors of the classification, M. Friedman, describing the behavior of type A persons during an interview, writes:

What is striking is not so much the essence of the answers to questions as the very manner of their behavior. Attention is drawn to the characteristic facial expressions, voice intonation, movement of arms and legs. The face is tense and hostile, the eyes are darting, blinking frequently, the knees are constantly moving, the fingers are tapping. Speech is accompanied by swallowing air, licking lips, nodding the head. When talking, they rush and interrupt the speech of the interlocutor. The answers are often extreme, categorical: "always", "never". Gestures are aimed at showing dominance over the interlocutor. In a dispute, they either do not allow the interlocutor to say a word, or let his words go past his ears, that is, not want to delve into the essence of the opponent's thoughts and again repeat their theses. They think not about what the partner says, but about what to answer him. Gesticulating, they often clench their fists, use inappropriate swear words, laugh loudly and loudly [194].

The described behavior of type A is, of course, the result of a generalization, a set of typical features characteristic of the ideal, core, carrier of this type of behavior. People with such a manner of conducting a conversation, fortunately, are rare in life. In most representatives of behavioral type A, the characteristic features appear milder. For example:

Our fellow citizen Niger has returned home from his studies. He listened to the illustrious philosopher, not so much time to assimilate his system, but enough time, imitating him, to adopt the unpleasant manner of exposing his interlocutors in errors on every occasion [195].

With a high degree of probability, it can be argued that Niger had an innate tendency to "denounce his interlocutors", and communication with the philosopher only strengthened it. The desire to win in an argument is perhaps the main feature of a person of behavioral type A. Such people contradict not in order for the truth to be born, and not at all in order to defend their point of view. It is important for them to be the winner, even if it means passing off the opponent's views as their own.

Representatives of type A behavior are classified by different authors from 10% to 30% of the population. The number of representatives of behavioral type B is the same. The fact is that such a division is an analytical classification, similar to Sheldon's system. Belonging to one or another type and the degree of approximation to the ideal type is determined using specially designed questionnaires[196]. They offer questions such as: “Do you often think about working in the evenings and on weekends?”, “Do you feel that you constantly do not have enough time?”, “Did you try to be the first and best in everything, when you were younger?”, “Do you prefer to eat as quickly as possible so that you can do more important things?” It is required to give one of four answer options: “never”, “quite rarely”, “quite often”, “always”. Each of the answers is evaluated in points - from one to four. The points scored are summed up, and the arithmetic mean is displayed, by which the psychological type is determined.

Another version of the questionnaire contains affirmative sentences. The test-taker must indicate the extent to which he shares each of the statements: “strongly agree”; “rather disagree”; "probably agree"; "completely agree". Phrases such as: “You always take on an elusive goal”, “You often do several things at the same time, for example, read and eat”, “When you are drawn into a quarrel, you prefer to remain silent, not wanting to spoil relations with others”, “Your work you do better than usual when you compete with others.” As in the previous case, they find the arithmetic mean of the scores received for answering each question.

The division into behavioral types A and B is an analytical system. Most people are intermediate

It is easy to see that the questionnaires do not contain odious questions or statements that most people would answer categorically, for example: "Have you ever killed people you don't like?" or “Do you pass out when you get reprimanded by your boss?” It is obvious that most of the respondents receive not the extreme values of the average score, but averages close to 2. 5, i.e. the majority of the respondents belong to some intermediate type of people. The choice of the boundary criterion is entirely up to the researcher. He can take the values 3 and 1 as criteria, and then all persons who score more than 3 points will be considered carriers of type A, and those who score less than 1 point - carriers of type B. Those who score less than 3 points and more than 1 point will be classified as intermediate type . As boundary values, you can take any other numbers, such as 3.5 and 0.5. Then type A will include persons who received more than 3.5, and type B - less than 0.5. The group with an intermediate behavioral type will consist of individuals who received scores less than 3.5 and more than 0.5. Obviously, in the first case, with criteria of nuclear types 3 and 1, fewer persons will be assigned to the intermediate type than in the second case, with criteria of 3.5 and 0.5. Accordingly, in the first case, more people than in the second will be assigned to a certain type - A or B.

The situation with determining the type of human behavior is approximately the same as that would arise if it were necessary to divide all people into groups of "high" and "low". When determining the type of behavior using questionnaires and evaluating behavior during the interview, not all of the studied persons belong to type A or B. As a rule, most of the respondents belong to the intermediate type.

This text is an introductory fragment.

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Peculiarities of professional self-determination and professional orientation in high school students with type A and type B personality

The problem of professional self-determination of people with different types of behavior in recent decades has been very acute. This is due to the socio-economic situation in the country where there is a need to improve the professional qualities of an employee and active research is required in the field of professional self-determination of schoolchildren with various types of behavioral activity.

In adults, the specificity of behavioral types A and B has been studied quite well and is less studied at senior school age. In this regard, there is an interest in studying the characteristics of behavior of type A and type B at school age.

Despite numerous studies, many authors put a similar meaning into different terms: professionalism is defined as an integrative property of a person, including professional competence, morality, initiative and skill. At the same time, professionalism is a stable property of personality and activity, as well as the ability for self-development and self-correction. Professional readiness is understood as an integrative personal education, including professional orientation, knowledge and skills [4].

There are a large number of foreign and domestic studies devoted to the study of type A and type B behavior. A person with behavioral type A is characterized by the following psychological features: a high pace of life to achieve a vaguely formulated, difficult to achieve goal; constant attraction to competition and competition; high readiness for action; impatience and constant haste; acceleration of many physical and mental functions. [one; 2].

The concepts of "type A personality" and "type A behavior" came to personality psychology from psychosomatic medicine. M. Friedman and R. Rosenman described in detail this type, the features of his behavior and the psychosomatic consequences that such behavior leads to. An analysis of many studies has led to the formation of a fairly strong belief that type A behavior and the possession of personal characteristics of this type are a risk factor for psycho-emotional distress.

What is included in the concept of "personality type A" - a strongly expressed desire for superiority, social superiority, the perception of life as an arena of competitive struggle, always a keen desire to be the first, the best. Moreover, the desire to be the first and the best in everything that a person of type A does. Not only in the main business, in the profession, but also in all secondary matters. For such people, it is important to be the first in their professional activities and be the best, for example, when playing football or volleyball. Well, if you are engaged in collecting, then “my collection should be the best” and so in all areas of social interaction of a type A personality. In addition, at the behavioral level, a personality of this type is characterized by a vivid manifestation of activity, tension, ambition, often lack of restraint in the manifestation of feelings, assertiveness and impatience in achieving the goal. When meeting with obstacles on the way to achieving the set goal, a person of type A can show not only perseverance, but also aggressiveness. However, we note that the core of the personality is precisely the dominant motivation of superiority and social competition noted above. As for labor activity, an exaggerated need for activity is tracked here - over-involvement in work, initiative, inability to be distracted from work, to relax. Inability and unwillingness to perform everyday and monotonous work. Inability to long and steady concentration of attention, impatience, desire to do everything quickly. Competitiveness, a tendency to rivalry and recognition, ambitiousness, aggressiveness towards subjects that oppose the implementation of plans, the desire to dominate in a team or companies, easy frustration with external circumstances and life difficulties.

Another name for type A personality is the coronary type. It is no coincidence that the fundamental work of M. Friedman and R. Rosenman, devoted to the description of the phenomenon of type A personality, is called "Type A and its heart". Numerous studies state that cardiovascular diseases (heart attacks, strokes) occur in type A individuals much more often, approximately twice, and mortality in such people of working age is in the first place than in other people. This circumstance is naturally associated by specialists with the personal and behavioral characteristics of type A people. Stressfulness and consideration of type A behavior as a risk factor for psycho-emotional distress are recognized as obvious.

The prevalence of type A personalities is not the same in different sociocultural populations. Since there are more people with type A in cities than in villages, there are also more of them in socially and economically more developed regions than in less developed ones. Combining these two trends, therefore, we can say that the maximum concentration of type A people will be observed in the cities of socially more economically developed countries, and the minimum in villages, which are also located in underdeveloped regions.

Type A behavior is now recognized as a risk factor for psycho-emotional distress and coronary disease. At the same time, it is believed that such a traumatic factor for a personality of type A is failure in social competition, which is considered at the subjective level as frustration of the dominant motivation for superiority, achievement, victory. But there are experimental data that can make significant adjustments to the prevailing ideas that failure in itself in social competition is always an unconditional factor of psycho-emotional distress for a type A personality [3].

The opposite type of behavior to type B is characterized by: distinct slowness, balance and rationality in work, lack of desire to change jobs, thoroughness and commitment, reliability and predictability in behavior, emphasized disposition towards others and friendliness. Too long thinking over plans for activities, combined with a very leisurely and over-careful execution of even insignificant fragments, often annoying others, inability and unwillingness to argue, but at the same time, decisiveness in defending one's point of view. The absence of external manifestations of uncertainty in one's strengths and capabilities, the inability, and sometimes the unwillingness to rapidly change the stereotypes of activity, also cause difficulties in adapting to situations that require a quick responsible decision or job change.

M. Friedman and R. Rozenman offer a more differentiated approach, taking into account the severity of the characteristics of the two described types of behavior. Here, behavior of type A1 (a set of the most pronounced properties of "coronary behavior"), type A2 (a combination of the properties of both behavioral groups, but with a predominance of the characteristics of "coronary behavior"), type B3 (a combination of the properties of both groups, but with a predominance of characteristics of behavior of the type B), type B4 (a set of properties that are opposite to the parameters of coronary behavior) and type 0 behavior when the properties of both groups are balanced.

Not all studies allow us to state that type A behavior develops during life, under the influence of environmental factors, and is not hereditarily predetermined. In particular, excessive care for a child, poor parental care in childhood lead to more frequent involvement of a person in situations characterized by a high degree of risk in the future. This, in turn, may be due to the fact that such people often set difficult goals for themselves.

Factors contributing to the development of type A behavior also include the desire to achieve social adaptation at school, impatience and irritability. In studies, high school students with type A strive to always and everywhere be the first, they achieve high results at any events, olympiads.

Thus, high school students with a coronary personality type A prefer professions that are related to educating, educating people, communicating with them, copying, reproducing and studying artistic images, etc. This group includes all pedagogical and medical professions, professions services, as well as an artist, actor, singer, restorer, art critic and others.

High school students with personality type B choose a variety of professions by subject, not focusing solely on professions that present great opportunities for social competition. High school students with this type of personality are guided mainly by their own cognitive interests, features of the process and subject of the profession, their own capabilities.

References:

1. Klimov, E. A. Professional Psychology / E. A. Klimov // Psychologists of the Fatherland.

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