Emotion-Anger
What is Anger?
Definition: Anger is the emotional state
associated with a desire to hurt someone or
drive that individual away.
Causes: Anger is usually caused by situations
that are: (1) unfair, (2) unpleasant and (3)
deliberately caused by someone else (4) that
are potentially changeable (if they aren’t, the
events cause more sadness).
Blame: In one study people reported feeling
angry only on occasions when they had
someone to blame for their frustration.
Blame and anger tend to go together.
• When you are angry, consider whether
you are judging or blaming somebody.
When you choose not to judge you will
find that your anger diminishes.
Will I be Angry, Sad or Afraid?
What separates anger from fear and sadness
is a feeling of power or control. If you see
danger then you will get angry if you think you
are in control and sadness/fear if you think
you are powerless.
• Road Rage: People feel more anger in a
car (they are protected) so you feel
angry when you think you are safe.
Functions of Anger
I. Fight or Flight: Whenever you experience an
event that you determine is threat to you or
something important to you then your body
activates its “fight or flight” response. This
response is designed to ready you to take
action and “fight” the threat away.
II. Anger as a response to Frustration: Another
theory suggests that we can
get frustrated when our
goals have not been
accomplished and can
become aggressive
towards whatever we
think prevented that goal
from being
accomplished.
For example: A father can
become angry with his children
if he is trying to watch his favorite tv show (his
goal) and his children are preventing him from
doing so. The children frustrated his goal and
thus the father became angry at his children in
order to signal that this goal is important for him
to achieve.
Common words that describe Anger
Aggravated
Agitated
Betrayed
Bothered
Cross
Disapproving
Displeased
Disturbed
Exasperated
Fuming
Hateful
Hurt
Impatient
Indignant
Jealous
Mad
Offended
Rejected
Vicious
Aggressive
Annoyed
Bitter
Combative
Distrustful
Disgusted
Dissatisfied
Enraged
Frustrated
Furious
Hostile
Ignored
Incensed
Infuriated
Livid
Obstinate
Outraged
Resentful