Social determinants of experienced anger

The Influence of Stressor Exposure and Psychosocial Resources on the Age-Anger Relationship

OBJECTIVES

This study examined the processes linking age, stressor exposure, psychosocial coping resources, and two dimensions of anger proneness (i.e., experienced anger and expressed anger).

METHOD

Longitudinal change regression analysis of data from a two-wave community panel study including a sample of people aged 18 to 93 ( N = 1,473) is performed.

RESULTS

Age is significantly associated with declines in both experienced anger and expressed anger over the 3-year study period. These associations are substantially mediated by the lower levels of chronic stressors and discrimination-related stressors experienced among older adults. In contrast, self-esteem amplifies the association between age and expressed anger.

DISCUSSION

These findings clarify the circumstances in which age matters most for changes over time in the experience and expression of anger. They highlight how certain forms of stressor exposure and psychosocial resources are linked with anger proneness and in ways that vary by age.

Public understanding of the politics of global warming in the news media: the hostile media approach

This study uses the politics of global warming in the US to investigate an affective mechanism of hostile media perception and the democratic consequences of such perception, in an effort to delineate audience and journalistic barriers to stimulating urgent concern about climate change. The study confirms that partisanship played a significant role in perceptual differences with regard to media bias in an important area of science journalism--climate change. News consumers' anger perception was tested as a mediator in seeking an affective mechanism of hostile media perception. Hostile media perception has important democratic consequences in that it is positively associated with individuals' trust in news coverage of global warming and with selective media use.

The social antecedents of anger proneness in young adulthood

Anger has been shown to be an important factor in occupational maladjustment, family conflict, physical and sexual assault, criminal behavior and substance abuse. It has also been linked with such adverse health outcomes as hypertension, heart disease, and cancer. Focusing on anger proneness, conceptualized as a relatively enduring propensity to experience and express anger; this article examines both early and recent antecedent factors that predict and may condition levels of anger proneness. The roles of both prospectively and retrospectively assessed factors are considered. Data from an ethnically diverse and representative sample of young adults reveals clear gender differences and, at least for short-tempered anger; decreasing levels of anger with increasing socioeconomic status. Prior exposure to violent events, prior exposure to other forms of social stress, and certain personal attributes were found to be significant antecedents of both hostility and short-tempered forms of anger proneness.

Neuroendocrine and Behavioral Mechanisms Mediating the Relationship between Anger Expression and Cardiovascular Risk: Assessment Considerations and Improvements

The hypothesis that intense anger experience may increase risk for or exacerbate cardiovascular diseases has been under active theoretical and empirical interest for decades. Biopsychological models of disease suggest that persons displaying exaggerated physiological responses to acute emotional or stressful states are at a greater risk to develop cardiovascular disorders. The last two decades have witnessed active work to refine means by which anger expression can be assessed, and laboratory research has produced evidence suggesting that certain expression styles may predict enhanced physiological responses to acute stress. In this paper, we review methodological and definition issues related to the assessment of anger, and we summarize recent improvements on the assessment of anger expression. We also review recent studies addressing the association between anger and cardiovascular diseases, and we present potential neuroendocrine and behavioral mechanisms through which anger expression may increase risk for cardiovascular disease.

There is more to anger coping than "in" or "out"

There is growing dissatisfaction with a dichotomized "anger-in" versus "anger-out" view of anger coping. Three studies using student and community adultsamples revealed a broader understanding of the nature of anger coping styles and led to the development of the new Behavioral Anger Response Questionnaire (BARQ). The BARQ is empirically derived and factorially validated and has good psychometrics. Results suggest that dichotomizing anger responses as "in" versus "out" is too coarse and that a 6-factor model may be more appropriate. The 6 factors identified here are Direct Anger-Out, Assertion, Support-Seeking, Diffusion, Avoidance, and Rumination. Women reported use of a wider range of anger coping styles, especially more social support-seeking and more use of anger diffusion strategies than men.

Anger assessment in rural high school students

Anger and aggression in school children are a major concern in American society today. Students with high anger levels and poor cognitive processing skills are at risk for poor relationships, underachievement in school, and health problems. This article describes characteristics of children who are at risk for high anger levels and aggression as well as those who are able to modulate their anger. Results of a survey are reported which describe levels of anger in 624 rural high school students. This sample reported lower levels of anger, compared to the normative group. Differences among the sample include higher internal anger expression in girls, higher trait anger in boys ages 15-16, and higher trait anger in girls ages 16-17. Recommendations are made for future research and specific steps that school nurses can take.

Cardiac rehabilitation: a review of current developments

An overview is given of the current status of cardiac rehabilitation and its effects on morbidity and mortality. While there is an emphasis in most current programs upon physical exercise as an important autonomous risk factor for Coronary Heart Disease (CHD), there is at the same time a tendency in cardiac rehabilitation to go beyond mere physical exercise towards adding more multimodal psychoeducational modules in rehabilitation programs; those approaches are aimed at educating the patient about a less risky and healthier way of life. Such psycho-education is more and more aimed at the "toxic" aspects of negative emotions. The in-between classic Type A Behavior Pattern (TABP) might, in general, be less powerful in predicting later CHD morbidity or mortality than some specific emotional components of TABP, such as anger and hostility. The literature is reviewed as to risk factors and CHD and the role of negative affectivity in development and or maintenance of CHD. Approaches for modification are discussed against the background of their effectivity in cardiac rehabilitation. The recent Dutch guidelines, issued by the Dutch Heart Foundation, appear to incorporate many of the elements mentioned in the research literature on cardiac rehabilitation. On a scientific level they form an excellent audit to evaluate and to contour efficiently the until-now very heterogeneous field of cardiac rehabilitation.

Anger in former East German political prisoners: relationship to posttraumatic stress reactions and social support

Anger is a salient symptom of traumatized victims and a major sign for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, the causes for the increased level of anger remain almost unknown. The present study investigates the interrelationship of anger, posttraumatic stress reactions, and social support in a group of former East German political prisoners (N = 91). Assessments included the German version of the Anxiety Disorders Schedule (DIPS) as well as measures of anger (STAXI), posttraumatic stress reactions (IES-R), and social support (SSQ). As expected, participants reported a high level of anger. Most measures of anger, posttraumatic stress reactions, and social support were significantly correlated. Within structural equation modeling, trait-anger was shown to be directly activated by the experience of chronic posttraumatic intrusions. Social support appeared to lessen the level of anger. The results confirm findings from studies on other traumatic events and provide additional information on the relationship between posttraumatic anger and social support. The findings indicate that treatments for PTSD might be effectively supplemented by addressing anger and social support.

Women and ANGER

Through gender role socialization, women have learned to suppress anger. This leads to somatization and a denial of a sense of self. To teach women how to express anger, methods of anger acknowledgment and expression have been provided. Through the teaching of these techniques, nurses can assist women to experience a paradigm shift: from the belief that "others are responsible for meeting women's needs" to the belief that "women are personally responsible for meeting their own needs." By teaching women assertive communication, nurses can provide women with effective tools to regain control of their life experiences. The "Exercise Application" presents an example of a paradigm shift for the experience of anger.