Reshaping Couple Configurations that Get in the Way of Relationship Repair and Healing

In the context of relationship trauma, partners' reactive patterns of engagement can disrupt and derail attempts at relationship correction and healing. A circumplex typology of couple patterns of engagement in relational trauma context is defined in terms of partners' underlying views of self in relation to other (VSIRO). VSIRO is conceptualized along a continuum anchored at opposite poles by inflated (self-aggrandizing) versus collapsed (self-abnegating) VSIRO, with a balanced (egalitarian) VSIRO, characterized by accountability and forbearance, as the target position. The circumplex model delineates four problematic couple configurations—a dejected couple, a taker–enabler couple, an ultimate fighting couple, and a debtor–collector couple. Where problematic engagement occurs, therapists need to reshape couple engagement toward the balanced, egalitarian position prior to relational trauma work. Clinical vignettes depict these couples and springboard an analysis of unique needs and interventions associated with each couple configuration. Reshaping couple patterns of engagement using a circumplex model of couple configurations is an essential prerequisite to effective and ethical relational trauma work.     

Cognitive-Behavior Therapy for Reduction of Persistent Anger

Although persistent anger is not represented in DSM-IV as a psychiatric disorder, it is nevertheless a significant clinical problem. Based on our experience with both research and clinic patients from a diverse urban population, and drawing on methods utilized by others, we have refined and elaborated several treatment strategies that appear useful for anger reduction. The strategies derive from a counterconditioning treatment model: patients are exposed (either naturally or by design) to situations that may evoke anger, while they apply physiological, cognitive, and/or behavioral methods that can dampen the habitually angry response. The specific anger-reduction methods include: applied muscle relaxation, cognitive reappraisal, inhibition of overresponding, and reversal of underresponding (through acquisition of effective communication and problem-solving skills). Preliminary evidence is presented indicating that anger patients experience significant reduction in the intensity, duration, and frequency of anger reactions after completing 12 sessions of therapy utilizing these anger-reduction methods.     

The Role of Anger in Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Little is known about the role of anger in the context of anxiety disorders, particularly with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). The aim of study was to examine the relationship between specific dimensions of anger and GAD. Participants (N = 381) completed a series of questionnaires, including the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire (GAD-Q-IV; Newman et al., 2002, Behavior Therapy, 33, 215–233), the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI-2; Spielberger 1999, State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory-2: STAXI-2 professional manual, Odessa, FL: Psychological Assessment Resources) and the Aggression Questionnaire (AQ; Buss & Perry 1992, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 63, 452–459). The GAD-Q-IV identifies individuals who meet diagnostic criteria for GAD (i.e. GAD analogues) and those who do not (non-GAD). The STAXI-2 includes subscales for trait anger, externalized anger expression, internalized anger expression, externalized anger control and internalized anger control. The AQ includes subscales for physical aggression, verbal aggression, anger and hostility. The GAD-Q-IV significantly correlated with all STAXI-2 and AQ subscales (r's ranging from .10 to .46). Multivariate analyses of variance revealed that GAD analogues significantly differed from non-GAD participants on the combined STAXI-2 subscales (η² = .098); high levels of trait anger and internalized anger expression contributed the most to GAD group membership. GAD analogue participants also significantly differed from non-GAD participants on the combined AQ subscales (η² = .156); high levels of anger (affective component of aggression) and hostility contributed the most to GAD group membership. Within the GAD analogue group, the STAXI-2 and AQ subscales significantly predicted GAD symptom severity (R ² = .124 and .198, respectively). Elevated levels of multiple dimensions of anger characterize individuals who meet diagnostic criteria for GAD.     

Intolerance of Uncertainty Mediates the Relation Between Generalized Anxiety Disorder Symptoms and Anger

Previous research has shown that individuals with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) report elevated anger compared with nonanxious individuals; however, the pathways linking GAD and anger are currently unknown. We hypothesized that negative beliefs about uncertainty, negative beliefs about worry and perfectionism dimensions mediate the relationship between GAD symptoms and anger variables. We employed multiple mediation with bootstrapping on cross-sectional data from a student sample (N = 233) to test four models assessing potential mediators of the association of GAD symptoms to inward anger expression, outward anger expression, trait anger and hostility, respectively. The belief that uncertainty has negative personal and behavioural implications uniquely mediated the association of GAD symptoms to inward anger expression (confidence interval [CI] = .0034, .1845, P_M = .5444), and the belief that uncertainty is unfair and spoils everything uniquely mediated the association of GAD symptoms to outward anger expression (CI = .0052, .1936, P_M = .4861) and hostility (CI = .0269, .2427, P_M = .3487). Neither negative beliefs about worry nor perfectionism dimensions uniquely mediated the relation of GAD symptoms to anger constructs. We conclude that intolerance of uncertainty may help to explain the positive connection between GAD symptoms and anger, and these findings give impetus to future longitudinal investigations of the role of anger in GAD.     

Anger communication in deaf children

In this study, we investigated how deaf children express their anger towards peers and with what intentions. Eleven-year-old deaf children (n=21) and a hearing control group (n=36) were offered four vignettes describing anger-evoking conflict situations with peers. Children were asked how they would respond, how the responsible peer would react, and what would happen to their relationship. Deaf children employed the communicative function of anger expression differently from hearing children. Whereas hearing children used anger expression to reflect on the anguish that another child caused them, deaf children used it rather bluntly and explained less. Moreover, deaf children expected less empathic responses from the peer causing them harm. Both groups did, however, expect equally often that the relationship with the peer would stay intact. These findings are discussed in the light of deaf children's impaired emotion socialization secondary to their limited communication skills.     

Self-Reported Anger Among Traumatized Children and Adolescents

This investigation sought to establish if anger is associated with PTSD among children and adolescents or with trauma exposure in the absence of PTSD. The State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI) was administered to youth with PTSD (n=24), traumatized youth without PTSD (n=58), and a non-traumatized control group (n=38). In the absence of potentially confounding major comorbid disorders, the PTSD group had significantly higher scores on the STAXI State, Trait, and Angry Temperament scales. Trauma exposure in the absence of PTSD was not associated with higher anger scores.     

Deterring Anger and Anger-Motivated Behaviors

Two experiments were carried out to explore an anger-reducing strategy based on Brehm's emotional intensity theory. According to this theory, anger can be reduced indirectly by interfering with the feeling of anger rather than by dealing directly with the source of anger. One strategy involves providing the angered person with a reason for feeling happy. We predicted that anger intensity would be reduced not only by a large reason for feeling happy, such as a large gift, but also by a small reason, like a tiny gift. A medium-size gift was expected to maintain anger at approximately its instigated level. Both experiments instigated anger by personal insult and then measured the intensity of felt anger and retaliation after either no further treatment, or a small, a moderate, or large irrelevant gift was presented. The results for felt anger and retaliation confirmed our theoretical expectations.     

The Effect of Violent Videogame Playtime on Anger

Studies have found evidence that, after playing violent videogames for 20 min, people experience a mean short‐term increase in aggression, hostility, and anger. The current research investigated whether or not players habituate during longer, more realistic lengths of play. Participants (N = 98) were randomly assigned to play the game Quake III Arena for either 20 or 60 min. Participants in the long condition showed a smaller change in state anger (CSA) from pre‐ to post‐gameplay than those in the short condition, although this did not reach significance. Change in scores for gamers (not novice players) showed that short gaming led to a larger increase in anger ratings than long gaming. When the results for violent videogame players were analysed separately, there was no significant increase in anger post‐gameplay—irrespective of length of time playing. Results also supported the hypotheses that females would show a significantly larger CSA than males and that participants previously unexposed to violent videogames would show a significantly larger CSA than exposed participants.     

Varieties of Anger: The Relation Between Emotion Terms and Components of Anger Expressions

Component theory (C. Smith & H. Scott, 1997) predicts that presence of component movements (action units) alters the decoded meaning of a basic emotional expression. We tested whether the meaning of the basic expression of anger varied when different components were present in the expression. Participants were asked to label variants of anger from Ekman and Friesen's Pictures of Facial Affect using 15 anger terms, and invariance of labeling was tested by manipulating the judgment task. Data were analyzed using consensus analysis, multidimensional scaling, and numerical scaling. Components did not result in consensus about fine distinctions in the meanings of the anger expressions. Varying the type of task strongly affected results. We believe this occurred because language elicits different categorization processes than evaluation of facial expressions nonverbally.     

Anger and hostility from the perspective of the Big Five personality model

Sanz, J., García‐Vera, M. P. & Magán, I. (2010). Anger and hostility from the perspective of the Big Five personality model. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 51, 262–270. This study was aimed at examining the relationships of the personality dimensions of the five‐factor model or Big Five with trait anger and with two specific traits of hostility (mistrust and confrontational attitude), and identifying the similarities and differences between trait anger and hostility in the framework of the Big Five. In a sample of 353 male and female adults, the Big Five explained a significant percentage of individual differences in trait anger and hostility after controlling the effects due to the relationship between both constructs and content overlapping across scales. In addition, trait anger was primarily associated with neuroticism, whereas mistrust and confrontational attitude were principally related to low agreeableness. These findings are discussed in the context of the anger‐hostility‐aggression syndrome and the capability of the Big Five for organizing and clarifying related personality constructs.     

Anger,personality, and optimistic stress appraisals

Two studies examined the impacts of experimentally induced anger and personality on appraisals of hypothetical stressors. Consistent with predictions Study 1 (N = 62) revealed that anger (compared to a neutral state) led to more optimistic appraisals of the stressors, and that those impacts were limited to appraisal dimensions known to evoke anger. Study 2 (N = 116) partially replicated these findings, and also revealed that personality moderated these effects such that the most optimistic appraisals emerged among the most extraverted and emotionally stable participants. These findings add to the extant work on the cognitive consequences of discrete emotions, integrate the affect, judgement, and personality literatures with appraisal theories of emotion, and suggest future research & directions.     

Childhood Maltreatment Increases the Risk of Intimate Partner Violence via PTSD and Anger Personality Traits in Individuals Consulting for Sexual Problems

Childhood maltreatment is a significant risk factor for the perpetration of intimate partner violence (IPV) in adulthood. This study tested, in a clinical sample, a conceptual model suggesting that childhood maltreatment contributes to the development of anger personality traits, directly and indirectly via posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and that anger personality traits, in turn, are associated with IPV. Adults consulting for sex therapy (n = 114) completed self-report measures of childhood maltreatment, PTSD, anger, and IPV. Participants were exposed to high rates of childhood maltreatment (83%). Path analysis supported the hypothesized model: Exposure to child maltreatment was associated with anger personality traits, and this association was partially mediated by PTSD symptoms. Anger personality traits were highly correlated with IPV.     

Cognitive-Behavioral Self-Regulation of the Frequency, Duration, and Intensity of Anger

Within a self-regulation format, cognitive, behavioral, and (combined) cognitive-behavioral techniques were evaluated for effects on the frequency, duration, and intensity of anger. Twenty-seven subjects randomly assigned to three groups each received one of the three treatments after a baseline of self-monitoring and then completed another phase of self-monitoring. Results revealed a significant reduction in the frequency and duration of anger (but not anger intensity) under self-intervention, regardless of treatment type. These effects were preserved for a week following treatment. Thus, self-regulation may prevent incidents of anger and even cut short the persistence of anger, but once anger occurs, it tends to register about the same maximum intensity; this peak intensity is typically reached at the onset of the anger which then wanes at a decreasing rate over time. Further research is called for to determine the long-term durability of the treatment gains obtained and the generalizability of these findings in clinical populations.     

The Influence of Counselor Trainee Anger-Proneness and Anger Discomfort on Reactions to an Angry Client

In this study the authors explored the relationship between counselor trainee anger-proneness and anger discomfort and trainees' reactions to an angry client. A total of 38 of trainees viewed and gave their reactions to a videotape of an angry client-actress. There were two dependent variables in the study: discomfort with and anger toward the client. Trainee anger-proneness and anger discomfort scores were positively and significantly related to discomfort with and anger toward the client. Implications for future research and training are discussed.     

Spirituality,Anger, and Stress in Early Adolescents

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship of spiritual beliefs and involvement with anger and stress in early adolescents. Early adolescents (n = 53) completed the Spiritual Involvement and Beliefs Scale (Hatch et al. 1998), the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory (Spielberger 1999), and the Perceived Stress Scale (Cohen and Williamson 1988). Contrary to expectations, spirituality was significantly and positively related to anger and stress. Implications and possible explanations for the unanticipated findings in this study are discussed.     

Sacred Violations,Perceptions of Injustice,and Anger in Muslims

Anger has been at the center of religiopolitical conflicts and has been associated with well‐being. This study examined the role of Muslim anger in sociopolitical events perceived as a sacred violation. A Muslim sample (N = 151) identified adverse political events that have deeply affected them; and completed measures of anger, sacred violations, perceptions of injustice, and religiousness. Sacred violations and perceptions of injustice were associated with greater levels of anger, with sacred violations being the stronger predictor. Post hoc analyses revealed that surrender problem‐solving style increased anger control. The findings provide broad support for the importance of religious appraisals of adverse political events in Muslim anger.     

A Typology of Anger Profiles in Couples

ABSTRACT

Few researchers have attempted to identify couples' anger management profiles. Cluster analysis was conducted using five indices of anger derived from Inventory of Anger Experience in Couples (Laughrea, Belanger, & Wright, 1996). Sample consisted of 220 couples from normal and clinical populations. Four types were identified: (a) Relaxed Couples, (b) Slightly Angry Couples, (c) Explosive Angry Couples, and (d) Dangerously Enraged Couples. Results also indicated that the higher the disturbance of anger dynamics between partners, the more psychologically and maritally distressed they were, and the lower the quality of their coping strategies. Understanding anger and its clinical implication are discussed.     

Internal Anger and External Expressions of Aggression in OEF/OIF Veterans

National Guard/Reserve service members (n?=?143) deployed to Operations Enduring/Iraqi Freedom completed measures of anger/aggression, coping, and PTSD. Regressions and path analyses revealed that PTSD and avoidant coping both contributed to elevated anger. Furthermore, PTSD exerted indirect effects on verbal and physical aggression via anger, with direct effects only on physical aggression. Younger age was unrelated to anger but directly related to greater verbal and physical aggression. These results contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of risk for aggression in veterans of recent conflicts; however, the generalizability is limited by sample characteristics (all National Guard/Reserve, mostly White, married, religious).