Is Anger Related to a Sense of Control? Phyllis Ernst, DeLeon Hughes, Carla Kuhl, Moje Omoruan

1. Is Anger Related to a Sense of Control? Phyllis Ernst, DeLeon Hughes, Carla Kuhl, MojeOmoruan PSY 450, Research Methods in Psychology · Dr. Stephani Foraker Abstract Method Discussion Who is more prone to feeling anger along with the feeling of no control over the situation: the white, male student lashing out at his classmates, or the African-American female principal stepping in to break up a fight? Based on previous research supporting the link between anger and sense of control, we hypothesized that one’s level of anger and sense of control would be negatively correlated. We also wanted to find out if gender, age, and race modulated that relationship. A short questionnaire asked about a time when something valuable to the participant was damaged or stolen, measuring the two dependent variables and the modulators. We found that there was a significant negative correlation for the whole sample. For females , minorities and people less than 40 we also saw a significant negative correlation. A significant negative correlation was found between level of anger and sense of control. For gender, females showed a stronger negative association than males, although both were significant. Ages 18-39 showed the negative correlation, but people 40 and older did not. Minorities also showed the negative correlation, while Whites did not. In conclusion, it seems that adults over 40, White-Caucasians, and perhaps males may be more able to manage their levels of anger or their sense of control over negative situations. A future step is to find out why some groups feel such anger along with a loss of sense of control while others seem not to. There were also some open ended questions that asked questions about how they expressed their anger and what was done to take control of the situation. We have not presented that date here but it is a possible future direction. Participants: The sample consisted of 229 participants, with 36% males and 63% females. The age range was from 18-74 with a mean of 26 (SD = 11). We also compared minorities as a group (40% Black/African-American, Asian, Native peoples, and mixed races) to White/Caucasians (58%). Design: Correlational, 2 dependent variables – level of anger and sense of control. Modulators tested: Age, Race and Sex Materials: Instructions were to think about one particular instance when something valuable or important was stolen or damaged. To measure level of anger we asked “how angry were you about having that taken from you?” 1 = not angry at all to 5 = extremely angry. To measure sense of control we asked “How much control did you feel you had over the situation?” 1 = no control to 5 = total control Procedure: After informed consent individuals were asked to complete a brief questionnaire to survey how they dealt with anger in certain situations. The questionnaire took five to ten minutes to complete. They were then debriefed on the intent of the study. No deception was involved. Analyses: Pearson’s r bivariate correlation Background Results • In a study by Down, Griffiths, Watts, and Willner (2010), it was hypothesized that “age moderates the outcome of intervention in different group based adolescent anger management interventions” (Down et al, 2010 p46). This is important because it can allow for better organized group therapy when it comes to acknowledging and controlling anger. • In a study by Mabry and Kiecolt, (2005) they found that when gender and age are controlled, African Americans in general neither felt nor expressed an increase of anger compared to whites, even though they had a lower average of sense of control and increased mistrust. It is still a mystery, however, as to why African Americans sense of control reduces anger expression and angry feelings more effectively than that of whites. • Researchers predicted a significant interaction between males and females and the gender of the target on state measures of anger (Milovchevich, Howells, Drew, & Day, 2001). The results of the study support previous ideas that males and females do not differ in anger experience or expression, but that they do differ in gender role identification. Also masculine individuals did indeed exhibit higher levels of anger expression and lower levels of anger control. Acknowledgements Minorities compared to Majority Caucasians Males compared to Females Thank you to all the participants. References Anger (Males) M = 3.94,SD = .92 r(82) = -.15, p = .18 Anger(Females) M = 3.97,SD = .91 r(145) = -.25, p = .002 Control (Male) M = 2.71,SD = 1.30 Control (Female) M = 2.34,SD = 1.14 Anger (minority) M = 3.98, SD .95 r(91) = -.36, p < .001 Anger (majority) M = 3.98, SD = .88 r(132) = -.06, p = .47 Control (minority) M = 2.55, SD = 1.23 Control (majority) M = 2.40, SD = 1.20 Abernathy, A. D. (1995). Managing racial anger: A critical skill in cultural competence. Journal of Non-White Concerns in Personnel & Guidance, 23 (2), 96-102. Averill, J.R. (1983). Studies on anger and aggression. Implications for theories of emotion. American Psychologist, 38, 1145-1160. Blanchard-Fields, F., Corballis, P. M., Hilimire, M. R., Mienaltowski, A., & Parks, N. A. (2010). Anger management: age differences in emotional modulation of visual processing. Psychology and Aging, Advance online publication, 1-8. doi: 10.1037/a0021032 Boman, P. (2003). Gender differences in school anger. International Education Journal, 4(2), 71-77. Carstensen, L.L., Hanson, K.A., & Freund, A.M. (1995). Selection and compensation in adulthood. In R.A. Dixon & L. Baekman (Eds.), Compensating for psychological deficits and declines: Managing losses and promoting gains (pp. 107-126). Hillsdale, NJ, England: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Down, R., Griffiths, J., Watts, L., & Willner, P. (2011). Anger management groups for adolescents: a mixed-methods study of efficacy and treatment preferences. Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 16, 33-52. doi: 10.1177/1359104509341448 Mabry, J. B., & Kiecolt, K. J. (2005. Anger in black and white: Race, alienation, and anger. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 46, 85-101. Milovchevich, D., Howells, K., Drew, N., & Day, A. (2001). Sex and gender role differences in anger: an australian community study. Personality and Individuals Differences, 31, 117-127. McConatha, J.T., Leone, F.M., and Armstrong, J.M. (2997). Emotional control in adulthood. Psychological Reports, 80, 499-507. Phillips, L.H., Henry, J.D., Hosie, J.A., & Milne, A.B. (2006). Age, anger regulation and well-being. Aging & Mental Health, 10, 250-256. Schieman, S. (2001). Age, education, and the sense of control: A test of the cumulative advantage hypothesis. Research on Aging. 23, 153-178. Age groups Anger: Age (less than 30) M = 4.0, SD = .86 r(180)= -.185, p=.013 Age (30 - 40) M = 3.5, SD = 1.3 r(15)= -.607, p=.016 Age (over 40) M = 3.8, SD = .99 r(32)= -.144, p=.432 Control: Age (less than 30) M = 2.54, SD = 1.23 Age (30 -40) M = 2.33, SD = 1.23 Age (over 40) M = 2.25, SD = 1.08 Overall Sample Anger M = 3.96, SD = .91. Control M = 2.47, SD =1.21 r(229) = -.20, p = .002