Related Experiment Videos
Assessing individual differences in constructive versus destructive responses to anger across the lifespan
J P Tangney1, D Hill-Barlow, P E Wagner
1Department of Psychology, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia 22030, USA.
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
|April 1, 1996
Summary
Researchers developed the Anger Response Inventories (ARIs) to measure anger experiences and management across childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. These reliable and valid tools support understanding anger development and intervention strategies.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- Anger is a common human emotion with significant implications for well-being and social functioning.
- Assessing anger experiences and management strategies across different developmental stages is crucial for understanding its impact.
- Existing measures may not adequately capture the nuances of anger across the lifespan.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate scenario-based, self-report measures, the Anger Response Inventories (ARIs), for assessing anger experiences and management.
- To evaluate the reliability and validity of the ARIs for children, adolescents, and adults.
- To examine the construct validity of the ARIs through correlations with related psychological constructs and behavioral reports.
Main Methods:
- Development of scenario-based, self-report questionnaires (ARIs) for three age groups: children, adolescents, and adults.
- Assessment of anger arousal, intentions, cognitive/behavioral responses, and long-term consequences within the ARIs.
- Conducting multiple independent studies to establish reliability and validity, including correlational analyses with other measures and expert reports.
Main Results:
- The Anger Response Inventories (ARIs) demonstrated good reliability and validity across independent studies.
- Theoretically consistent correlations were found between ARI scores and measures of hostility, aggression, anger management, and behavioral adjustment.
- Findings supported the construct validity of the ARIs through convergence with self- and other-reports of anger episodes and personality traits.
Conclusions:
- The Anger Response Inventories (ARIs) provide a reliable and valid method for assessing anger experiences and management from childhood through adulthood.
- The ARIs contribute to a better understanding of anger development and individual differences in anger processing.
- These inventories can inform the development of targeted interventions for anger management across the lifespan.