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Trait Anger Symptoms and Emotion Regulation: The Effectiveness of Reappraisal, Acceptance and Suppression Strategies in Regulating Anger

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 March 2015

Carmen L. Germain  and
Maria Kangas
Carmen L. Germain
Affiliation:
Centre for Emotional Health, Department of Psychology, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Maria Kangas*
Affiliation:
Centre for Emotional Health, Department of Psychology, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
*
Address for correspondence: Dr Maria Kangas, Macquarie University, Centre for Emotional Health, Department of Psychology, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia. Email: maria.kangas@mq.edu.au
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Abstract

Objective: The aim of the current study was to compare the effects of instructed cognitive reappraisal, acceptance and emotional suppression on state anger after provocation among individuals with high trait anger. The moderating effects of trait emotion regulation (ER) styles were also examined. Method: Adults (N = 102) with elevated levels of trait anger were randomised to one of three ER conditions. Participants in both the reappraisal and emotional suppression conditions reported a decline in state anger and systolic blood pressure (SBP) post-anger provocation, whereas participants in the acceptance group did not experience a substantial decline in state anger or SBP post-anger provocation. Trait suppression was further found to enhance the effects of instructed suppression, while trait tolerance augmented the effects of instructed reappraisal. Conclusions: Support was found for the use of reappraisal and emotional suppression as adaptive strategies to cope with anger arousal in the short term after provocation.

Keywords

angeremotion-regulationreappraisalacceptanceemotion suppression
Type
Standard Papers
Information
Behaviour Change , Volume 32 , Issue 1 , April 2015 , pp. 35 - 45
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s) 2015 

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