Type A, amicability and injury: A prospective study of air traffic controllers

• Published in: Journal of psychosomatic research 1989, Vol.33 (2), p.177-186
• Main Authors: Lee, David J., Niemcryk, Steve J., Jenkins, C.David, Rose, Robert M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Alcohol Drinking; Biological and medical sciences; Exercise; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Illness and personality; Life Change Events; Male; Occupations; Prospective Studies; Psychology and medicine; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Social Desirability; Type A Personality; Wounds and Injuries - psychology
• ISSN: 0022-3999; 1879-1360
• DOI: 10.1016/0022-3999(89)90045-7

Recent research has suggested that only a subset of Type A's may be at higher risk for negative health outcomes. The present prospective study of 416 air traffic controllers attempted to determine if a sub-group of Type A's who were disliked by their co-workers had significantly higher risk of injury than liked A's and all Type B's over a 27-month period. Liked B's were not different in terms of injury incidence from their not liked B counterparts (mean annualised rates of injury = 1.9 and 2.1 respectively); not liked Type A's had the highest rates of injuries of any group (8.5) including liked Type A's (3.8). Some psychological instruments were useful in discriminating the Type A not liked group from their liked counterparts and from the Type B's. These discriminating variables were used as covariates to determine if the relationship between being classified a not liked Type A and elevated injury incidence remained. Multiple regression analysis showed that distress from life events and being a not liked Type A remained significantly correlated with later injury (standardised coefficients 0.16 and 0.25 respectively).