Often people categorise others into Type A, Type B and sometimes even Type C personalities but did you know it’s also possible to have a Type D personality?
For those unfamiliar with personality categorisation, those with a Type A personality tend to be highly driven, often competitive and typically perfectionist but can also be hostile, impatient and aggressive.
Type B people are often thought to have lower stress levels with characteristics that range from relaxed, flexible, emotional and expressive with a generally more laid-back approach to life and then there’s Type C.
This category represents a person who appears to be quiet and even laid-back but inside are aggressive and angry. They typically find it very difficult to express emotions.
But, what’s Type D?
Well, according to psychology professor Susan Krauss Whitbourne, who writes about it in Psychology Today, D stands for 'distressed'.
Individuals who fall into this category are likely to be anxious, stressed and even sometimes lonely but ignore their feelings, choosing to bottle them up. Due to the mental health problems that often come with this, they're actually more likely to suffer with conditions such as heart disease.
'Paradoxically enough, Type D individuals may not actually experience anxiety and depression in terms of mood state (how they feel) because they suppress their negative emotions,' writes Krauss Whitbourne. 'Thus, as they try to reign in their negative feelings, they only exacerbate their risk of cardiac disease.'
The term was actually first coined by psychologist Johan Denollet at Tilburg University. He came up with a short questionnaire to find out whether an individual has a Type D personality.
Time to find out if you're one of them:
The D-Scale 14
Below are a number of statements that people often use to describe themselves. Read each one and circle the appropriate number next to that statement to indicate your answer. There are no right or wrong answers: Your own impression is the only thing that matters.
0 = false
1 = rather false
2 = neutral
3 = rather true
4 = true
1) I make contact easily when I meet people 0 1 2 3 4
2) I often make a fuss about unimportant things 0 1 2 3 4
3) I often talk to strangers 0 1 2 3 4
4) I often feel unhappy 0 1 2 3 4
5) I am often irritated 0 1 2 3 4
6) I often feel inhibited in social interactions 0 1 2 3 4
7) I take a gloomy view of things 0 1 2 3 4
8) I find it hard to start a conversation 0 1 2 3 4
9) I am often in a bad mood 0 1 2 3 4
10) I am a closed kind of person 0 1 2 3 4
11) I would rather keep people at a distance 0 1 2 3 4
12) I often find myself worrying about something 0 1 2 3 4
13) I am often down in the dumps 0 1 2 3 4
14) When socialising, I don't find the right things to talk about 0 1 2 3 4
'Negative affectivity' scale: Add scores for questions 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 12, and 13
'Social inhibition' scale: Add scores for questions 1*, 3*, 6, 8, 10, 11, and 14
(*For scoring questions 1 and 3, if you circled 0, enter 4; if 1, enter 3; if 2, enter 2; if 3, enter 1; if 4, enter 0.)
You qualify as a type D personality if you scored 10 or higher on both negative affectivity and social inhibition scales.
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