Type As who think they are type Bs: discrepancies between self-ratings and interview ratings of the type A (coronary-prone) behaviour pattern.

The study described here explored discrepancies between self-ratings and interview ratings of Type A behaviour. A total of 281 patients referred for diagnostic coronary angiography underwent a comprehensive psychological assessment including the Type A structured interview (SI), the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) and two self-report measures of Type A behaviour, the Jenkins Activity Survey (JAS) and the Type A Self-Rating Inventory (TASRI). Two subgroups of patients were identified--Type A subjects whose Type A self-ratings were consistent with the SI classification, and subjects who obtained low self-rating scores and yet were classified as Type A by the SI. A comparison of the MMPI profiles showed that the discordant Type As scored lower on MMPI scales 9 (Ma) and 4 (Pd), and higher on scales 0 (Si), 2 (D) and F. The personality attributes associated with this MMPI pattern are more consistent with individual self-reports of Type A behaviour than observer ratings during the SI.