A Taxometric Analysis of Type-D Personality

Abstract

Background: Type-D personality is treated as a categorical variable and caseness has been shown to be a risk factor for poor prognosis in coronary heart disease. However, at present there is no direct evidence to support the assumption that Type-D is categorical and able to differentiate true cases from non-cases. Methods: In total, 1012 healthy young adults from across the UK and Ireland completed the DS14, the standard index of Type-D, and scores were submitted to two taxometric procedures MAMBAC and MAXCOV. Results: Graphical representations (comparing actual to simulated data) and fit indices indicated that Type-D is more accurately represented as a dimensional rather than categorical construct. Conclusion: Type-D is better represented as a dimensional construct. Implications for theory development and clinical practice with respect to Type-D are examined as well as the wider use of taxometrics within psychosomatic medicine (e.g., to investigate if there are medically unexplained syndrome taxons such as a Gulf War Syndrome taxon).