Personality Types

Continuing the tradition of the early Greek and Roman physicians, modern
personality theorists have often noted that certain personality characteristics
seem to be associated with a propensity to develop illness, or even specific
illnesses. Other personality characteristics appear to reduce vulnerability
to illness. One of the best-known examples of a case in which personality
characteristics affect health is that of the Type A behavior pattern (or Type A
personality). The person identified as a Type A personality typically displays
a pattern of behaviors which includes easily aroused hostility, excessive competitiveness,
and a pronounced sense of time urgency. Research suggests
that hostility is the most damaging of these behaviors. Type A personalities
typically display hyperreactivity to stressful situations, with a corresponding
slow return to the baseline of arousal. The hostile Type A personality is particularly
prone to coronary heart disease. By contrast, the less driven Type B
personality does not display the hostility, competitiveness, and time urgency
of the Type A personality and is about half as likely to develop coronary
heart disease.

Studies conducted in the 1970’s and 1980’s led to the suggestion that
there is a Type C, or cancer-prone, personality. Although the role of personality
characteristics is heavily debated in terms of the development of cancer,
various characteristics related to stress have been found to suppress the immune
system, thereby making an individual more vulnerable to some cancers.
Personality characteristics have therefore also been found to be somewhat
influential in the course of the disease. It is well known that many
natural and artificial substances produce cancer, but many researchers have
also noted that people with certain personality characteristics are more
likely to develop cancer, are more likely to develop fast-growing cancers, and
are less likely to survive their cancers, whatever the cause. These personality
characteristics include repression of strong negative emotions, acquiescence
in the face of stressful life situations, inhibition, depression, and
hopelessness. Encounters with uncontrollable stressful events appear to be
particularly related to the development or course of cancer. In addition,
some research suggests that not having strong social support systems may
contribute to the development or affect the outcome of cancer.
Research has begun to focus on the possible interaction among risk factors
for cancer. For example, depressed smokers are many more times likely
to develop smoking-related cancers than are either nondepressed smokers
or depressed nonsmokers. One theory suggests that the smoking provides
exposure to the carcinogenic substance that initiates the cancer, and depression
promotes its development.

It has been suggested that hardiness is a broad, positive personality variable
that affects one’s propensity for developing stress-related illness. Hardiness
is made up of three more specific characteristics: commitment (becoming
involved in things that are going on around oneself), challenge
(accepting the need for change and seeing new opportunities for growth in
what others see as problems), and control (believing that one’s actions determine
what happens in life and that one can have an effect on the environment).
It has been hypothesized that people who possess these characteristics
are less likely to develop stress-related disorders because they view
stressful situations more favorably than do other people. Commitment and
control seem to be more influential in promoting health. Locus of control is
a related concept which has received much attention. 686