Type A behavior in children: demographic, behavioral, and physiological correlates.

This article provides descriptive data on the Type A behavior pattern from an urban, biracial sample of 8 to 10-year-old children from Minneapolis. Type A behavior was assessed using the Matthews Youth Test for Health (MYTH). High MYTH scores were more prevalent in males relative to females and in black males relative to white males. Parent self-reports suggested that Type A children were more outgoing, talkative, and physically active than Type B children; they were more aggressive in their interactions with others and were more likely to experience a greater number of aversive significant life events than Type B children. No differences in resting heart rate, diastolic or systolic blood pressures were found between Type A and Type B children; there were no differences on measures of the family environment. These results provide additional evidence for the construct validity of the MYTH and offer new information on the correlates of Type A behavior in children.