Anger : causes and components

Emotions can be considered processes that involve involuntary action readiness. In this chapter, the authors review recent research and theoretical advances in the study of basic processes involved in anger. The conception of anger advanced in the chapter is much broader than some others, which suggest that there are different kinds of anger. Anger is often regarded as a negative emotion by laypersons as well as psychological scientists. In a given situation, anger may be primary or even sole emotional experience. Indeed, research has indicated that anger is often associated with attack. Researchers have often considered anger to be the result of physical or psychological restraint or of interference with goal-directed activity. Appraisal theorizing has attracted much interest in recent years and has dominated recent thinking about the causes of emotions in general. Future research is necessary to understand the states and traits that might cause anger to instead be associated with other motivational tendencies and patterns of brain activity.