Type A Behaviour as a Determinant of Participation in Physical Activity and Sport Among Adolescents

Abstract

As a part of an extensive research project 'Cardiovascular Risks in Young Finns ; this study examined the relationship between Type A behaviour and sports participation among adolescents. Subjects were 852 12- and 15-year-old boys and girls randomly selected from five Finnish university towns and their rural surroundings. Type A behaviour was categorized into two dimensions encompassing impatient- aggressive competitiveness (IAC) and responsible hard-driving (RHD). Level of participation in sport was measured by means of a short questionnaire. The results of the present study showed that active adolescents scored significantly higher on the RHD factor than passive adolescents in the four age-gender groups. Among boys, RHD increased with length of participation in competitive sport. Boys and girls participating in specifically competitive sports seemed to be a little more impatient and aggressive than those in non- competitive sports. The results of a 3-year follow-up study also showed that persistent participants and beginners (those who started training during the 3-year period) had a higher level of RHD than dropouts (those who ceased training during the 3-year period) and outsiders (those who did not participate at all), which may mean that organized sports tend to attract and retain participants who have certain psychological traits, rather than encouraging the development of those traits.