Assessment and Developmental Antecedents of the Coronary-Prone Behavior Pattern in Children

On occasion, I speak to groups of housewives and elementary school teachers about Type A behavior. Afterwards, members of the audience have commented, “Yes, I know the behavior pattern you are describing—I have two Type A sons,” or “Last year my classroom contained largely Type B children, but this year, well, I am exhausted.” Although these women report easy recognition of Type A children, the assessment techniques of children’s Type A behavior are immature. Research on the developmental antecedents of Type A is also in its youth. The goals of the present paper are to thoroughly review the literature relevant to the etiology of Type A, and to suggest directions for future research. We begin with a description and critique of the current methods for assessing Type A, in children, followed by an outline of research on Type A behavior in children. Then, the literature on components of Type A, that is, children’s competitive achievement-striving, aggression, and time perception, is reviewed and its implications for the development of Type A are discussed. Finally, directions for future research are suggested.