A meta-analytic review of anger management activities that increase or decrease arousal: What fuels or douses rage?

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Anger is a common human emotion, and effective management strategies are sought after.
• Existing anger management techniques vary, with some aiming to decrease physiological arousal and others to increase it.

Approach:

• A meta-analytic review was conducted, synthesizing data from 154 studies with 184 independent samples and 10,189 participants.
• The effectiveness of arousal-decreasing (e.g., mindfulness, meditation) and arousal-increasing (e.g., physical exertion) activities for anger management was systematically evaluated.

Key Points:

• Arousal-decreasing activities demonstrated a significant and robust effect in reducing anger and aggression (g = -0.63).
• These findings were consistent across diverse demographics (gender, race, age, culture) and settings (students, offenders, individuals with/without disabilities, digital/in-person delivery).
• In contrast, arousal-increasing activities showed no significant overall effect (g = -0.02) and exhibited considerable heterogeneity.

Conclusions:

• The study provides strong evidence that activities promoting calmness and reducing physiological arousal are effective anger management tools.
• Findings challenge popular notions that venting anger or engaging in high-arousal activities (like jogging) are beneficial for anger control.
• The optimal approach to managing anger involves "turning down the heat" through arousal-decreasing techniques.