Psychology and Pedagogy of AngerRichardson, Roy Franklin
Science
Psychology and Pedagogy of Anger
Richardson, Roy Franklin
Anger
_Types._ Three rather definite types appear. First is anger which rises
from a fore-period of irritable feelings. It develops by a cumulative
process of irascible feelings, through a series of stimuli till the
point of anger is suddenly reached. An idea is present at the point of
anger which serves as a vehicle of expression. It may be an idea not
directly associated with the situation exciting the emotion. In fact an
apparently irrelevant idea may break the crust of unpleasant feeling
tension and serve as an objective reference for the emotion. Anger of
this type is scattered. It is not necessary that the emotion be referred
to the actual thwarting idea, it frequently refers to inanimate objects
and often arises from the irritation accompanying pain. The active
period of this type of emotion is mostly voco-motor tension and reaction
of larger muscles. The immediate after-period may be a feeling of
relief, irascible irritation, or other emotions such as pity, shame,
regret and fear. Its increased volitional action may establish a mental
attitude of caution and determination against a future thwarting when it
is finished. A new emotion may arise however from the same background of
irritation. The after effects of an emotion of this type are shallow and
easily forgotten. It does not leave hate or dislike in its wake, there
is nothing left over for revengeful behavior.
A second type of anger is predetermined by another sort of mental
disposition. Self-feelings are its source. An idea excites negative
self-feeling and anger follows as a reaction with the purpose of
restoring positive feelings of self. It usually has a greater proportion
of pleasantness than the type described above. Its end is to attain
pleasantness in some form of positive self-feeling, and when that is
successfully reached the emotion disappears. Any idea from a subjective
or objective source which intensifies positive feelings of self, tends
to diminish emotion of this type. The thwarting of a desire, due to the
damage and inconvenience done, is insignificant as compared with the
thrust that one’s pride and self-respect have received. In the type
above, there is thwarting of desire; while in this type, there is
humiliation. In fact in the latter type, serious inconvenience may be
suffered in the effort to heal a wounded self respect. Anger of this
type is not so indefinite in its objective reference. It has direct
reference to an offender before the point of anger has been reached, and
another person or object cannot be substituted with any degree of
satisfaction. Anger of this type leaves an important residuum after the
emotion has disappeared in the form of other affective processes, in
tendencies, mental attitudes and dispositions, some of which have
possibilities of morbidity, others mere pleasantness or sublimation into
work.
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