Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dk4vv Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-19T03:47:01.788Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

High and Low Trait Anger, and the Recognition of Anger Problems

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 January 2013

Raúl J. Alcázar ,
Jerry L. Deffenbacher ,
Laura Hernández Guzmán  and
Graciela I. Wilson
Raúl J. Alcázar*
Affiliation:
Universidad Iberoamericana Puebla (Mexico)
Jerry L. Deffenbacher
Affiliation:
Colorado State University (USA)
Laura Hernández Guzmán
Affiliation:
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (Mexico)
Graciela I. Wilson
Affiliation:
Universidad Iberoamericana Puebla (Mexico)
*
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Raúl J. Alcázar. Department of Health Sciences. Blvd. del Nino Poblano 2901, U. T. Atlixcayotl. Puebla, Pue. México, Z.C. 72430. Phone: +52-222-372-30-52. E-mail: [email protected],[email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

This study compared three groups of people: (a) high trait anger individuals who recognized personal anger problems (HR); (b) high trait anger individuals who did not recognize personal anger problems (HNR); and (c) low trait anger individuals not reporting personal anger problems (LNR). Compared to LNR participants, HR and HNR groups reported more anger-out (i.e., outward negative expression of anger such as arguing with others), anger-in (i.e., anger suppression and harboring grudges), greater desire to use and actual use of physically aggressive anger expression (e.g., pushing or shoving someone), and less anger control-in (i.e., emotionally focused strategies to lower anger such as relaxation) and anger control-out (i.e., behaviorally focused strategies such as being patient with others). HR individuals reported more trait anger (i.e., higher propensity to experience anger) and less anger control-out than the HNR group. Gender did not relate to the recognition of anger problems. Findings were discussed with regard to theory and clinical implications.

Esta investigación comparó tres grupos de personas: (a) individuos con alta ira rasgo que reconocieron tener problemas de ira (AR); (b) individuos con alta ira rasgo que no reconocieron tener problemas personales de ira (ANR); y (c) individuos con baja ira rasgo que informaron no tener problemas de ira (BNR). En comparación con los participantes BNR, los grupos AR y ANR tuvieron mayor ira-externa (i.e., manifestar negativamente la ira como discutir con otros), ira-interna (i.e., contener la ira y guardar rencores), mayor deseo de usar y emplear en los hechos expresiones físico agresivas de ira (e.g., empujar a alguien), menor control-interno (i.e., estrategias enfocadas en la emoción para disminuir la ira, tal como la relajación) y menor control-externo (i.e., estrategias enfocadas conductualmente como ser paciente con otros). Los individuos AR tuvieron más ira rasgo (i.e., mayor tendencia a sentir ira) y menor control-externo que el grupo ANR. El género no se relacionó con el reconocimiento de problemas de ira. Los hallazgos se discuten con respecto a implicaciones clínicas y teóricas.

Keywords

angerrecognitiontrait angerSTAXIirarasgoreconocimientoSTAXI
Type
Research Article
Information
The Spanish Journal of Psychology , Volume 14 , Issue 2 , November 2011 , pp. 851 - 858
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2011

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Archer, J. (2004). Sex differences in aggression in real-world settings: A meta-analytic review. Review of General Psychology, 8, 291–322. doi:10.1037/1089-2680.8.4.291CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Arkowitz, H., Westra, H. A., Miller, W. R., & Rollnick, S. (2008). Motivational interviewing in the treatment of psychological problems. New York, NY: Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Averill, J. R. (1983). Studies on anger and aggression: Implications for theories of emotion. American Psychologist, 38, 1145–1160. doi:10.1037/0003-066X.38.11.1145CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bartz, A. E., Blume, N. E., & Rose, J. (1996). Gender differences in self-report measures of anger: The role of social desirability and negative affect. Journal of Social Behavior and Personality, 11(5), 241–253.Google Scholar
Bryant, F. B., & Yarnold, P. R. (1995). Principal-components analysis and exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. In Grimm, L. G. & Yarnold, P. R. (Eds.), Reading and understanding multivariate statistics. Washington DC: American Psychological Association.Google Scholar
Cohen, J. (1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences (2nd ed.). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.Google Scholar
Deffenbacher, J. L. (1999). Cognitive-behavioral conceptualization and treatment of anger. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 55, 295–309. doi:10.1002/(SICI)1097-4679(199903)55:3<295::AID-JCLP3>3.3.CO;2-13.0.CO;2-A>CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Deffenbacher, J. L. (2010, January). Characteristics of individuals high in driving anger: Prevention and intervention. Paper presented at the colloquium of Universidad Iberoamericana Puebla, México.Google Scholar
Deffenbacher, J. L., Filetti, L. B., Richards, T. L., Lynch, R. S., & Oetting, E. R. (2003). Characteristics of two groups of angry drivers. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 50, 123–132. doi:10.1037/0022-0167.50.2.123CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Deffenbacher, J. L., & McKay, M. (2000). Overcoming situational and general anger (therapist protocol). Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications.Google Scholar
Deffenbacher, J. L., Oetting, E. R., Lynch, R. S., & Morris, C. D. (1996). The expression of anger and its consequences. Behavior Research and Therapy, 34, 575–590. doi:10.1016/0005-7967(96)00018-6Google Scholar
Deffenbacher, J. L., Oetting, E. R., Thwaites, G. A., Lynch, R. S., Baker, D. A., Stark, R. S., … Eiswerth-Cox, L. 1996). State-trait anger theory and the utility of the trait anger scale. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 43, 131–148. doi:10.1037/0022-0167.43.2.131CrossRefGoogle Scholar
DiGiuseppe, R. (1995). Developing the therapeutic alliance with angry clients. In Kassinove, H. (Ed.), Anger disorders: Definition, diagnosis and treatment (pp. 131–149). Washington, DC: Taylor & Francis.Google Scholar
Maisto, S. A., Chung, T. A., Cornelius, J. R., & Martin, Ch. S. (2003). Factor structure of the SOCRATES in a clinical sample of adolescents. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 17, 98–107. doi:10.1037/0893-164X.17.2.98CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McConnaughy, E. A., Prochaska, J. O., & Velicer, W. F. (1983). Stages of change in psychotherapy: Measurement and sample profiles. Psychotherapy: Theory, research, and practice, 20, 368–375. doi:10.1037/h0090198CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Miller, W. R., & Rollnick, S. (1991). Motivational interviewing: Preparing people to change addictive behavior. New York, NY: Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Miller, W. R., & Rollnick, S. (2002). Motivational interviewing: Preparing people for change (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Miller, W. R., & Tonigan, J. S. (1996). Assessing drinker's motivation for change: The stages of change readiness and treatment eagerness scale (SOCRATES). Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 10, 81–89. doi:10.1037/10248-014CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mitchel, D., & Angelone, D. J. (2006). Assessing the validity of the stages of change readiness and treatment eagerness scale with treatment-seeking military service members. Military Medicine, 171(9), 900–904.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moscoso, M. S. (2000). Estructura factorial del Inventario Multicultural Latinoamericano de la Expresión de la Cólera y la Hostilidad [Factor structure of of the Multicultural Latin American Anger Expression Inventory]. Revista Latinoamericana de Psicología, 32(2), 321–343.Google Scholar
Moscoso, M. S., & Spielberger, C. D. (1999). Evaluación de la experiencia, expresión y control de la cólera en Latinoamérica [Assessment of the experience and expression of anger in Latin America]. Revista Psicología Contemporánea, 6(6), 4–13.Google Scholar
Nunnally, J., & Bernstein, I. (1994). Psychometric theory (3rd ed.). New York, NY: McGraw- Hill.Google Scholar
Prochaska, J. O., & DiClemente, C. C. (1982). Transtheoretical therapy: Toward a more integrative model of change. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, and Practice, 19, 276–288. doi:10.1037/h0088437CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Prochaska, J. O., & DiClemente, C. C. (1986). Toward a comprehensive model of change. In Miller, W. R. & Heather, N. (Eds.), Treating addictive behaviors: Processes of change (pp. 3–27). New York, NY: Plenum Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Prochaska, J. O., & Prochaska, J. M. (1999). Why don't continents move? Why don't people change? Journal of Psychotherapy Integration, 9, 83–102. doi:10.1023/A:1023210911909CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rosen, C. S., Murphy, R. T., Chow, H. C., Drescher, K. D., Ramirez, G., Ruddy, R., & Gusman, F.(2001). Posttraumatic stress disorder patient's readiness to change alcohol and anger problems. Psychotherapy, 38, 233–244. doi:10.1037/0033-3204.38.2.233CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Salazar, L. (2008). Evaluación de dos intervenciones breves para la disminución del consumo del alcohol en adolescentes rurales de Aguascalientes [Evaluation of two brief interventions to reduce alcohol consumption in rural adolescents from Aguascalientes]. (Unpublished doctoral thesis). Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México.Google Scholar
Spielberger, C. D. (1988). Manual for the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory. Odessa, FL: Psychological Assessment Resources.Google Scholar
Spielberger, C. D. (1999). Manual for the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory-Revised. Odessa, FL: Psychological Assessment Resources.Google Scholar
Stiles, W. B. (2001). Assimilation of problematic experiences. Psychotherapy, 38, 462–465. doi:10.1037/0033-3204.38.4.462CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tafrate, R. C., Kassinove, H., & Dundin, L. (2002). Anger episodes in high and low trait anger community adults. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 58, 1573–1590. doi:10.1002/jclp.10076CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Zullino, D. F., Krenz, S., Frésard, E., Montagrin, Y., Kolly, S., Chatton, A., … Broers, B. (2007). Psychometric properties of a French-language version of the stage of change readiness and treatment eagerness scale (SOCRATES). Addiction Research and Theory, 15, 153–160. doi:10.1080/16066350601179514CrossRefGoogle Scholar