Self-ratings of type A (coronary prone) adults: do type A's know they are type A's?

This study compared self-ratings and interview-band ratings of the type A coronary-prone behavior pattern. A Type A adjective scale was developed from the Gough-Adjective Checklist (ACL), using adjectives rated as characteristic and uncharacteristic of the Type A individual by a panel of 20 Type A researchers. Scores on this scale were compared with Type A ratings based on the structural interview. Results from a sample of 378 employed males indicate a significant linear relationship between self-ratings of Type A characteristics and interview-based Type A classification. Subsequent item analysis identified a subset of adjectives which were endorsed differentially by Type A and Type B individuals, and a subset of descriptors which were not differentially endorsed by the two groups. Implications of these findings for assessment and intervention approaches to coronary-prone behavior are discussed.