Basic dimensions within the coronary-prone behavior pattern.

Recent studies have demonstrated the relation of the “coronary-prone behavior pattern (Type A)” to prevalence and incidence of coronary heart disease (CHD). A self-administered, computer-scored questionnaire—The Jenkins Activity Survey (JAS)—has been shown to identify men having this coronary-prone behavior pattern with over 70 per cent accuracy. To resolve the question of whether this behavior pattern is a single unified set of responses or an aggregation of distinct traits, independent factor analyses were performed on JAS responses from four large samples of employed men. These analyses all concurred that the coronary-prone behavior pattern is actually composed of at least three major, conceptually independent behavioral syndromes: I. Hard Driving, II. Job Involvement, and III. Speed and Impatience. A system was constructed for deriving factor scores for individuals on these dimensions, and these scores were demonstrated to be reliable across forms of the test and stable over time. The 3 scores were uncorrelated with each other. The behavioral factors defined and measured here are in concordance with variables found to be associated with coronary heart disease by numerous other investigators using other methods.

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