You will be provided with a portion of an article by the

American Psychological Association.

You will work with the people at your table, read your
section, summarize it in your own words, and be
prepared to present your section to the class for
discussion.
In your summary be sure to include the following
information:
hat did the article say:
!ow does it apply to people in society:
"ive a real#life e$ample of how it applies to you
%or someone at your group&
1)
What is Anger?
The Nature of Anger
Anger is "an emotional state that varies in intensity from mild irritation to intense fury
and rage," according to Charles Spielberger, Ph, a psychologist !ho speciali"es in the
study of anger# $i%e other emotions, it is accompanied by physiological and biological
changes& !hen you get angry, your heart rate and blood pressure go up, as do the levels of
your energy hormones, adrenaline, and noradrenaline#
Anger can be caused by both e'ternal and internal events# (ou could be angry at a
specific person )Such as a co!or%er or supervisor) or event )a traffic *am, a canceled
flight), or your anger could be caused by !orrying or brooding about your personal
problems# +emories of traumatic or enraging events can also trigger angry feelings#
,)
Expressing Anger
-he instinctive, natural !ay to e'press anger is to respond aggressively# Anger is a
natural, adaptive response to threats& it inspires po!erful, often aggressive, feelings and
behaviors, !hich allo! us to fight and to defend ourselves !hen !e are attac%ed# A
certain amount of anger, therefore, is necessary to our survival#
.n the other hand, !e can/t physically lash out at every person or ob*ect that irritates or
annoys us& la!s, social norms, and common sense place limits on ho! far our anger can
ta%e us#
People use a variety of both conscious and unconscious processes to deal !ith their angry
feelings# -he three main approaches are e'pressing, suppressing, and calming#
0'pressing your angry feelings in an assertive1not aggressive1manner is the healthiest
!ay to e'press anger# -o do this, you have to learn ho! to ma%e clear !hat your needs
are, and ho! to get them met, !ithout hurting others# 2eing assertive doesn/t mean being
pushy or demanding& it means being respectful of yourself and others#
Anger can be suppressed, and then converted or redirected# -his happens !hen you hold
in your anger, stop thin%ing about it, and focus on something positive# -he aim is to
inhibit or suppress your anger and convert it into more constructive behavior# -he danger
in this type of response is that if it isn/t allo!ed out!ard e'pression, your anger can turn
in!ard1on yourself# Anger turned in!ard may cause hypertension, high blood pressure,
or depression#
3ne'pressed anger can create other problems# 4t can lead to pathological e'pressions of
anger, such as passive5aggressive behavior )getting bac% at people indirectly, !ithout
telling them !hy, rather than confronting them head5on) or a personality that seems
perpetually cynical and hostile# People !ho are constantly putting others do!n,
critici"ing everything, and ma%ing cynical comments haven/t learned ho! to
constructively e'press their anger# 6ot surprisingly, they aren/t li%ely to have many
successful relationships#
7inally, you can calm do!n inside# -his means not *ust controlling your out!ard
behavior, but also controlling your internal responses, ta%ing steps to lo!er your heart
rate, calm yourself do!n, and let the feelings subside#
As r# Spielberger notes, "!hen none of these three techni8ues !or%, that/s !hen
someone1or something1is going to get hurt#"
9)
Anger +anagement
-he goal of anger management is to reduce both your emotional feelings and the
physiological arousal that anger causes# (ou can/t get rid of, or avoid, the things or the
people that enrage you, nor can you change them, but you can learn to control your
reactions#
Are You Too Angry?
-here are psychological tests that measure the intensity of angry feelings, ho! prone to
anger you are, and ho! !ell you handle it# 2ut chances are good that if you do have a
problem !ith anger, you already %no! it# 4f you find yourself acting in !ays that seem
out of control and frightening, you might need help finding better !ays to deal !ith this
emotion#
Why Are Some People More Angry Than Others?
According to :erry effenbacher, Ph, a psychologist !ho speciali"es in anger
management, some people really are more "hotheaded" than others are& they get angry
more easily and more intensely than the average person does# -here are also those !ho
don/t sho! their anger in loud spectacular !ays but are chronically irritable and grumpy#
0asily angered people don/t al!ays curse and thro! things& sometimes they !ithdra!
socially, sul%, or get physically ill#
People !ho are easily angered generally have !hat some psychologists call a lo!
tolerance for frustration, meaning simply that they feel that they should not have to be
sub*ected to frustration, inconvenience, or annoyance# -hey can/t ta%e things in stride,
and they/re particularly infuriated if the situation seems someho! un*ust; for e'ample,
being corrected for a minor mista%e#
What ma%es these people this !ay? A number of things# .ne cause may be genetic or
physiological; -here is evidence that some children are born irritable, touchy, and easily
angered, and that these signs are present from a very early age# Another may be
sociocultural# Anger is often regarded as negative& !e/re taught that it/s all right to e'press
an'iety, depression, or other emotions but not to e'press anger# As a result, !e don/t learn
ho! to handle it or channel it constructively#
<esearch has also found that family bac%ground plays a role# -ypically, people !ho are
easily angered come from families that are disruptive, chaotic, and not s%illed at
emotional communications#
Is It Goo To !"et it All #ang Out?!
Psychologists no! say that this is a dangerous myth# Some people use this theory as a
license to hurt others# <esearch has found that "letting it rip" !ith anger actually escalates
anger and aggression and does nothing to help you )or the person you/re angry !ith)
resolve the situation#
4t/s best to find out !hat it is that triggers your anger, and then to develop strategies to
%eep those triggers from tipping you over the edge#
=)
Strategies -o >eep Anger At 2ay
$elaxation
Simple rela'ation tools, such as deep breathing and rela'ing imagery, can help calm
do!n angry feelings# -here are boo%s and courses that can teach you rela'ation
techni8ues, and once you learn the techni8ues, you can call upon them in any situation# 4f
you are involved in a relationship !here both partners are hot5tempered, it might be a
good idea for both of you to learn these techni8ues#
Some simple steps you can try;
2reathe deeply, from your diaphragm& breathing from your chest !on/t rela' you#
Picture your breath coming up from your "gut#"
Slo!ly repeat a calm !ord or phrase such as "rela'," "ta%e it easy#" <epeat it to
yourself !hile breathing deeply#
3se imagery& visuali"e a rela'ing e'perience, from either your memory or your
imagination#
6onstrenuous, slo! yoga5li%e e'ercises can rela' your muscles and ma%e you feel
much calmer#
Practice these techni8ues daily# $earn to use them automatically !hen you/re in a tense
situation#
?)
Strategies -o >eep Anger At 2ay
%ogniti&e $estru'turing
Simply put, this means changing the !ay you thin%# Angry people tend to curse, s!ear, or
spea% in highly colorful terms that reflect their inner thoughts# When you/re angry, your
thin%ing can get very e'aggerated and overly dramatic# -ry replacing these thoughts !ith
more rational ones# 7or instance, instead of telling yourself, "oh, it/s a!ful, it/s terrible,
everything/s ruined," tell yourself, "it/s frustrating, and it/s understandable that 4/m upset
about it, but it/s not the end of the !orld and getting angry is not going to fi' it anyho!#"
2e careful of !ords li%e "never" or "al!ays" !hen tal%ing about yourself or someone
else# "-his @ABCD machine never !or%s," or "you/re al!ays forgetting things" are not
*ust inaccurate, they also serve to ma%e you feel that your anger is *ustified and that
there/s no !ay to solve the problem# -hey also alienate and humiliate people !ho might
other!ise be !illing to !or% !ith you on a solution#
<emind yourself that getting angry is not going to fi' anything, that it !on/t ma%e you
feel better )and may actually ma%e you feel !orse)#
$ogic defeats anger, because anger, even !hen it/s *ustified, can 8uic%ly become
irrational# So use cold hard logic on yourself# <emind yourself that the !orld is "not out
to get you," you/re *ust e'periencing some of the rough spots of daily life# o this each
time you feel anger getting the best of you, and it/ll help you get a more balanced
perspective# Angry people tend to demand things; fairness, appreciation, agreement,
!illingness to do things their !ay# 0veryone !ants these things, and !e are all hurt and
disappointed !hen !e don/t get them, but angry people demand them, and !hen their
demands aren/t met, their disappointment becomes anger# As part of their cognitive
restructuring, angry people need to become a!are of their demanding nature and translate
their e'pectations into desires# 4n other !ords, saying, "4 !ould li%e" something is
healthier than saying, "4 demand" or "4 must have" something# When you/re unable to get
!hat you !ant, you !ill e'perience the normal reactions1frustration, disappointment,
hurt1but not anger# Some angry people use this anger as a !ay to avoid feeling hurt, but
that doesn/t mean the hurt goes a!ay#
E)
Strategies -o >eep Anger At 2ay
Pro(lem Sol&ing
Sometimes, our anger and frustration are caused by very real and inescapable problems in
our lives# 6ot all anger is misplaced, and often it/s a healthy, natural response to these
difficulties# -here is also a cultural belief that every problem has a solution, and it adds to
our frustration to find out that this isn/t al!ays the case# -he best attitude to bring to such
a situation, then, is not to focus on finding the solution, but rather on ho! you handle and
face the problem#
+a%e a plan, and chec% your progress along the !ay# <esolve to give it your best, but
also not to punish yourself if an ans!er doesn/t come right a!ay# 4f you can approach it
!ith your best intentions and efforts and ma%e a serious attempt to face it head5on, you
!ill be less li%ely to lose patience and fall into all5or5nothing thin%ing, even if the
problem does not get solved right a!ay#
F)
Strategies -o >eep Anger At 2ay
)etter %ommuni'ation
Angry people tend to *ump to1and act on1conclusions, and some of those conclusions
can be very inaccurate# -he first thing to do if you/re in a heated discussion is slo! do!n
and thin% through your responses# on/t say the first thing that comes into your head, but
slo! do!n and thin% carefully about !hat you !ant to say# At the same time, listen
carefully to !hat the other person is saying and ta%e your time before ans!ering#
$isten, too, to !hat is underlying the anger# 7or instance, you li%e a certain amount of
freedom and personal space, and your "significant other" !ants more connection and
closeness# 4f he or she starts complaining about your activities, don/t retaliate by painting
your partner as a *ailer, a !arden, or an albatross around your nec%#
4t/s natural to get defensive !hen you/re critici"ed, but don/t fight bac%# 4nstead, listen to
!hat/s underlying the !ords; the message that this person might feel neglected and
unloved# 4t may ta%e a lot of patient 8uestioning on your part, and it may re8uire some
breathing space, but don/t let your anger1or a partner/s1let a discussion spin out of
control# >eeping your cool can %eep the situation from becoming a disastrous one#
G)
Strategies -o >eep Anger At 2ay
*sing #umor
"Silly humor" can help defuse rage in a number of !ays# 7or one thing, it can help you
get a more balanced perspective# When you get angry and call someone a name or refer to
them in some imaginative phrase, stop and picture !hat that !ord !ould literally loo%
li%e# 4f you/re at !or% and you thin% of a co!or%er as a "dirtbag" or a "single5cell life
form," for e'ample, picture a large bag full of dirt )or an amoeba) sitting at your
colleague/s des%, tal%ing on the phone, going to meetings# o this !henever a name
comes into your head about another person# 4f you can, dra! a picture of !hat the actual
thing might loo% li%e# -his !ill ta%e a lot of the edge off your fury& and humor can al!ays
be relied on to help un%not a tense situation#
-he underlying message of highly angry people, r# effenbacher says, is "things oughta
go my !ay@" Angry people tend to feel that they are morally right, that any bloc%ing or
changing of their plans is an unbearable indignity and that they should 6.- have to
suffer this !ay# +aybe other people do, but not them@
When you feel that urge, he suggests, picture yourself as a god or goddess, a supreme
ruler, !ho o!ns the streets and stores and office space, striding alone and having your
!ay in all situations !hile others defer to you# -he more detail you can get into your
imaginary scenes, the more chances you have to reali"e that maybe you are being
unreasonable& you/ll also reali"e ho! unimportant the things you/re angry about really
are# -here are t!o cautions in using humor# 7irst, don/t try to *ust "laugh off" your
problems& rather, use humor to help yourself face them more constructively# Second, don/t
give in to harsh, sarcastic humor& that/s *ust another form of unhealthy anger e'pression#
What these techni8ues have in common is a refusal to ta%e yourself too seriously# Anger
is a serious emotion, but it/s often accompanied by ideas that, if e'amined, can ma%e you
laugh#
H)
Strategies -o >eep Anger At 2ay
%hanging Your En&ironment
Sometimes it/s our immediate surroundings that give us cause for irritation and fury#
Problems and responsibilities can !eigh on you and ma%e you feel angry at the "trap"
you seem to have fallen into and all the people and things that form that trap#
Iive yourself a brea%# +a%e sure you have some "personal time" scheduled for times of
the day that you %no! are particularly stressful# .ne e'ample is the !or%ing mother !ho
has a standing rule that !hen she comes home from !or%, for the first 1? minutes
"nobody tal%s to +om unless the house is on fire#" After this brief 8uiet time, she feels
better prepared to handle demands from her %ids !ithout blo!ing up at them#
Some Other Tips for Easing *p on Yourself
-iming; 4f you and your spouse tend to fight !hen you discuss things at night1perhaps
you/re tired, or distracted, or maybe it/s *ust habit1try changing the times !hen you tal%
about important matters so these tal%s don/t turn into arguments#
Avoidance; 4f your child/s chaotic room ma%es you furious every time you !al% by it,
shut the door# on/t ma%e yourself loo% at !hat infuriates you# on/t say, "!ell, my child
should clean up the room so 4 !on/t have to be angry@" -hat/s not the point# -he point is
to %eep yourself calm#
7inding alternatives; 4f your daily commute through traffic leaves you in a state of rage
and frustration, give yourself a pro*ect1learn or map out a different route, one that/s less
congested or more scenic# .r find another alternative, such as a bus or commuter train#
1J)
Strategies -o >eep Anger At 2ay
o (ou 6eed Counseling?
4f you feel that your anger is really out of control, if it is having an impact on your
relationships and on important parts of your life, you might consider counseling to learn
ho! to handle it better# A psychologist or other licensed mental health professional can
!or% !ith you in developing a range of techni8ues for changing your thin%ing and your
behavior#
When you tal% to a prospective therapist, tell her or him that you have problems !ith
anger that you !ant to !or% on, and as% about his or her approach to anger management#
+a%e sure this isn/t only a course of action designed to "put you in touch !ith your
feelings and e'press them"1that may be precisely !hat your problem is# With
counseling, psychologists say, a highly angry person can move closer to a middle range
of anger in about G to 1J !ee%s, depending on the circumstances and the techni8ues used#
What A(out Asserti&eness Training?
4t/s true that angry people need to learn to become assertive )rather than aggressive), but
most boo%s and courses on developing assertiveness are aimed at people !ho don/t feel
enough anger# -hese people are more passive and ac8uiescent than the average person&
they tend to let others !al% all over them# -hat isn/t something that most angry people do#
Still, these boo%s can contain some useful tactics to use in frustrating situations#
<emember, you can/t eliminate anger1and it !ouldn/t be a good idea if you could# 4n
spite of all your efforts, things !ill happen that !ill cause you anger& and sometimes it
!ill be *ustifiable anger# $ife !ill be filled !ith frustration, pain, loss, and the
unpredictable actions of others# (ou can/t change that& but you can change the !ay you let
such events affect you# Controlling your angry responses can %eep them from ma%ing you
even more unhappy in the long run#