The inhibited power motive, type A behavior, and patterns of cardiovascular response during the structured interview and Thematic Apperception Test

The Type A behavior pattern and the inhibited power motive have been implicated in the development of coronary heart disease (CHD). Since it is widely believed that enhanced cardiovascular responsivity may be one mechanism by which individuals develop CHD, the present study examined the relationship of Type A behavior and the inhibited power motive to different patterns of cardiovascular response during two behavioral tasks. Forty-one (24 Type A's, 17 Type B's) male undergraduates underwent the Type A structured interview (SI) and the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) while a broad range of cardiovascular functions were simultaneously recorded. Different patterns of cardiovascular response were observed during the SI and TAT, and Type A's showed a greater tendency than Type B's to exhibit increased heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and forearm blood flow (FBF) during the SI and the preparatory phase (but not the story-telling phase) of the TAT. The inhibited power motive was not related to enhanced cardiovascular responsivity during the SI or TAT. The implications of these findings for the development of CHD are discussed.