What does it mean to be type A or type B personality?

Question

is there a third type? how do you find out which one you are?

Answer 1

Type A personality, also known as the Type A Behavior Pattern, is a set of characteristics that includes being impatient, excessively time-conscious, insecure about one's status, highly competitive, hostile and aggressive, and incapable of relaxation.Type A individuals are often highly achieving workaholics who multi-task, drive themselves with deadlines, and are unhappy about the smallest of delays. They have been described as stress junkies. The Type B personality, in contrast, is patient, relaxed, and easy-going. There is also a Type AB mixed profile for people who cannot be clearly categorized.

According to Friedman (1996), Type A behavior is expressed in three major symptoms, one covert and hidden, as well as two additional factors that are more overt and observable:

* An intrinsic insecurity or insufficient level of self-esteem, which is considered to be the root cause of the syndrome. This is believed to be covert and therefore less observable.

*Time urgency and impatience, which causes irritation and exasperation.
* Free floating hostility, which can be triggered even over little incidents.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Type_a_personality

Jenkins Activity Survey

The Jenkins activity survey is one of the most widely used methods of assessing Type A behavior. The JAS is a psychometric survey of behavior and attitude designed to identify persons showing signs of Type A behavior. The test is multiple choice and self-administered. It was published in 1979 by C. David Jenkins, Stephen Zyzanski, and Ray Rosenman. The terms Type A and Type B personality were originally described in the work of Rosenman and Friedman in the 1940's.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jenkins_activity_survey

More on the Jenkins Activity Survey
http://www.cps.nova.edu/~cpphelp/JAS.html

Modified Online Jenkins Activity Survey
http://www.ithaca.edu/beins/methods/demos/perstype.htm

Other Online tests
http://www.psywww.com/resource/bytopic/testing.html

Answer 2

Type A is the leader type personality
Type B is the follower type

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Answer 3

Type "A" personalities are people that seem to have endless energy! They "bounce off the walls" so to speak!

Normally, the "A" types are the leaders...they have a strong desire to "get things done"...they have trouble relaxing and being
patient! They are the "workoholics"...they thrive on pressure and dead lines!

Type "B" personalities are generally more "laid back" and "breathe" more... before just "reacting" to things!

They wait for instructions and motivation...so they are normally the "followers".
They know how to relax, and enjoy their down time"
They thrive on motivation and inner "peace" They enjoy structure and "order" to things... (they will normally have a "routine" that they follow for their eating and sleeping habits.