Experimental comparisons of three different treatment approaches to anger control

A review of the anger literature, an anger model, and an anger treatment study were presented. Various dependent measures were utilized including physiological, behavioral, cognitive, life satisfaction, and expectancy measures. A 4 X 2 research design was utilized. There were four experimental groups with ten subjects per group, measured pre- and posttreatment. The experiment groups included a problem solving group, a social skills group, a cognitive behavior modification group, and an attention control group. Therapists were counterbalanced across groups. It was found that problem solving, social skills, and cognitive behavior modification approaches to anger control were all successful in reducing anger. The cognitive, social skills, and problem solving groups were all successful in reducing anger cognitions and aggressive behavior, however only the social skills and problem solving groups were successful in increasing assertive behaviors. Thus, it appeared that the problem solving and social skills approaches taught the subjects anger control by teaching them to competently interact with their environment. The cognitive approach appeared to teach a very passive strategy for anger reduction in that the subjects in this group uniformly interacted less with the environment when faced with an anger-provoking stimulus. The physiological data yielded inconclusive results, and none of the treatments appeared to significantly affect life satisfaction. Criticisms and suggestions for future research were presented. Future research should include investigation of female/male anger differences, development of a more direct behavioral assessment technique for anger, and exploration of the role of anger in the etiology and maintenance of various clinical syndromes.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph. D.

Level thesis:degree_level

doctoral

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Psychology

Department dc:contributor.department

Psychology

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Year dc:date.issued

1981

Author dc:creator

• Moon, James Robert

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Language dc:language.iso

en_US

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/10919/74828

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/74828