Task preference in relation to achievement striving and impatience‐irritability components of type a behaviour

Ninety‐nine high school students indicated their preference for each of eight problem‐solving tasks on the understanding that they would subsequently work at their most preferred task Subjects also completed questionnaires that provided measures of the achievement striving and impatience‐irritability components of Type A behaviour. Results showed that achievement striving was positively related to preference for problem‐solving tasks that involved effort and working rapidly and to preferred level of task difficulty, but negatively related to preference for problem‐solving tasks involving little effort and a slow pace of work. Impatience‐irritability was negatively related to preference for problem‐solving tasks involving both effort and working slowly. The results support the view that individuals prefer situations that are consistent with their personality characteristics. The results also underline the importance of studying the separate components of Type A behaviour and they have implications for health outcomes. 1991 Australian Psychological Society