EXAMINING THE RELATIONSHIPS AMONG SELF-REPORT MEASURES OF THE TYPE-A BEHAVIOR PATTERN - THE EFFECTS OF DIMENSIONALITY, MEASUREMENT ERROR, AND DIFFERENCES IN UNDERLYING CONSTRUCTS

The most widely used self-report measures of the Type A behavior pattern (TABP) are the Bortner scale, the Framingham scale, and the Jenkins Activity Survey (JAS). Though high scores on each of these measures have been linked to the development of coronary heart disease, their intercorrelations are rather low, suggesting that they may reflect different aspects of TABP. This study indicates that the low correlations among the Bortner scale, the Framingham scale, and the JAS are due not only to differences in underlying constructs but also to measurement error and multidimensionality. These results also identify several psychometric problems, which raise serious questions regarding the use of these measures in TABP research. Suggestions for the development of new measures of TABP are offered.