No evidence for the "type" in Type A Behavior

What is it about?

Type A Behavior is one of the most recognizable personality traits to the general public and has generated a large amount of research. Among this research, a major study in 1989 found that Type A Behavior is, in fact, a naturally occurring typology (i.e., people are either Type A or B). However, this study was never replicated. In response to recent calls for a more replicable science, we reexamined this typological claim using two studies that included more than 4,500 participants. In the end, we failed to replicate the original finding. Instead, we found no evidence for the "type" in Type A Behavior.

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Why is it important?

Having a clearer picture about what Type A Behavior is, and is not, can help us better predict things we care about. Type A Behavior is not a typological variable, but may be better described as a group of distinct traits (i.e., Hard-Driving/Competitiveness, Speed/Impatience, Time Pressure), all which exist along continuums of higher or lower levels, but none as either/or categories. By considering these traits separately, we can make unique and better predictions. For example, Hard-Driving/Competitiveness has mostly positive relations to educational and occupational variables (e.g., academic performance), but Speed/Impatience has mostly negative relations to variables reflecting physical and psychological health (e.g., poor sleep quality, stress). Thus, our study opens the way for future studies to examine the distinct roles of these unique traits.