Type A behavior pattern, sex role orientation, and psychological adjustment

Investigated whether Type A coronary-prone behavior patterns interfere with successful interpersonal functioning among persons who lack a highly masculine sex-role orientation. 105 male and 108 female undergraduates were administered a battery of tests including the Jenkins Activity Survey, the Beck Depression Scale, the Social Anxiety subscale of the Self-Consciousness Scale, the Janis-Field Feelings of Inadequacy Scale, the Self-Description Inventory, and the Bem Sex-Role Inventory. Results support the hypothesis in that the combination of a Type A behavioral style and a sex-role orientation low in masculinity were associated with low social self-esteem, high social anxiety, and depression. Further, maladjustment was more pronounced among females than males due to cultural expectations that females are more socially adept than males. (43 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved).