The Jenkins activity survey: does it measure psychopathology?

Previous studies have reached opposite conclusions concerning whether the Jenkins Activity Survey (JAS), a questionnaire measuring the Type A coronary-prone behavior pattern, correlates positively with measures of psychopathology. The present study investigated this question by administering the JAS, the Minnesota Personality Inventory (MMPI) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) to 85 subjects. No significant correlations were found between the JAS Type A scale and the four MMPI scales measuring neurotic functioning. The Type A scale did correlate significantly with other MMPI scales, but all correlations indicated an inverse relationship between Type A behavior and psychopathology. The Speed and Impatience subscale of the JAS correlated positively with both state and trait anxiety, as found in an earlier study. Results of the present study indicate that the factors assessed by the JAS scales are generally unrelated to factors assessed by traditional measures of psychopathology.