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Type A and Type B Behavior Pattern Theory

Time-pressured, competitive Type A and relaxed, easygoing Type B β€” a concept unrelated to blood-type personality theories.

Type A

Type A is marked by a persistent sense of time pressure, strong competitiveness, and a high drive for achievement. People with this pattern tend to try to handle several things at once and find waiting in line or being kept waiting unusually frustrating. Common traits: frequent feelings of time urgency, a strong competitive drive in competitive situations, a high need for achievement and results, and a tendency toward impatience or being easily keyed up. Growth tip: consciously building rest time into your schedule helps, as does noticing when competitiveness shows up in situations where it isn't actually needed.

Type B

Type B is marked by a relaxed, easygoing manner and comparatively low competitiveness. People with this pattern tend to stay relatively calm under pressure and often enjoy the process of doing something more than the outcome. Common traits: relatively little time urgency, a preference for cooperation and a relaxed atmosphere over competition, staying comparatively calm under stress, and often enjoying creative or reflective activities. Growth tip: for work with real deadlines, deliberately raising your sense of urgency a notch can help, and it's worth checking in periodically that being relaxed isn't delaying important goals.

What Is Type A/B Behavior Theory?

Type A and Type B behavior theory was first proposed in 1959 by American cardiologists Meyer Friedman and Ray Rosenman. The idea reportedly grew out of an observation that the armrests in their waiting room chairs wore out unusually fast, leading them to study a pattern of impatient, competitive behavior common among heart disease patients (Type A) versus a more relaxed pattern (Type B).

How Strong Is the Scientific Evidence?

Early research suggested Type A behavior significantly raised the risk of coronary heart disease, drawing wide attention. But later replication studies produced mixed results, and a large 2001 meta-analysis found no clear overall link between the full Type A pattern and heart disease. One specific component, hostility and chronic anger, has continued to show a fairly consistent link to health outcomes in later research, so more recent work has focused on that narrower trait rather than the theory as a whole.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does being Type A automatically mean worse health?

No. Current research leans toward the view that specific components within the Type A pattern, particularly hostility and chronic anger, are what actually relate to health, more than the pattern as a whole. Time urgency or a drive to achieve, on their own, aren't inherently harmful.

Can someone be a mix of Type A and Type B?

Yes. In practice, most people fall somewhere on a spectrum rather than fitting neatly into one category, often showing Type A tendencies in some situations and Type B tendencies in others.