Glossary
Type B Personality
What is Type B personality?
Type B personality describes the less persistently competitive and time-urgent pattern contrasted with Type A personality. In casual use, it often means relaxed or easygoing.
Characteristics and origins
In Friedman and Rosenman's original comparison, the B group was selected for behavior opposite to the A group's intense achievement and deadline orientation.
That contrast is narrower than a full personality profile.
Type B and health
Later prospective research produced mixed findings for Type A/hostility. A relaxed self-description should therefore not be treated as a guarantee of lower cardiovascular risk or better overall health.
Example of Type B behavior
Imagine a colleague who works steadily toward a deadline without turning each task into a race and stays patient when a meeting runs late. That illustrates the less time-urgent style often called Type B.
Why it matters
The label may describe a perceived style. To understand someone, ask about their actual tendencies and circumstances rather than assigning them a package of strengths because they seem easygoing.