Psychology and Pedagogy of AngerRichardson, Roy Franklin
Science
Psychology and Pedagogy of Anger
Richardson, Roy Franklin
Anger
_Individual Differences._ First, there is the problem of individual
differences in the emotional life of students; and the teacher, too,
for that matter. With some, the dominant emotion is fear and anxiety.
The material of the present study shows a wide variation in the
type and character of emotional reactions of the subjects studied
in which anger is one of the most frequently occurring emotions.
This difference is illustrated by the following summary from three
subjects: With J., anger predominates over fear; he knows but little
of the latter emotion. Anger usually occurs from a fore-period of
lowered self-feeling, the feeling intensity of the fore-period is not
strong. The reactive stage of the anger does not reach a high degree
of excitement. With him, anger usually disappears into indifference
and unpleasantness, leaving tendencies of passive dislike. He observed
no cases of anger at injustice or unfairness except when the latter
sentiments referred to himself. His anger for the most part is an
unsuccessful experience and is unpleasant. He consequently tries to
avoid getting angry and has relatively few emotions. The after-period
of his anger tends to be a little morbid, lacking any strongly marked
disposition which is the source of tendencies to do more work. Subject
G. has anger as a dominant emotion over fear. He scarcely knows anger
which arises from a fore-period of humiliation except anger at himself
when he has been inefficient. He does not hold resentments against
persons but against situations and principles. Anger is usually
unpleasant except a mild after-period of relief. With him, anger is a
means of throwing off superfluous feelings of irritation and serves
but little the purpose of work, except to increase volitional action
for the moment. His anger often refers to himself. Anger at unfairness
tends to refer to the principle rather than to the person. The emotion
occurs more frequently when he is unwell. It is rather slow to appear,
by a gradual accumulation, till the point of anger is reached; the
emotion does not attain a high degree of excitement. With subject C.
the character and type of anger reaction is in marked contrast to the
two subjects mentioned above. He knows but little of fear except in
extreme situations. His anger nearly all springs from a fore-period
of humiliation and is often intense in its most active stage. For a
time during the most intense stage of the emotion, he almost loses
the sense of justice; but as the emotion begins to die down, he has
a habit of excusing the offender and looking at his side of the
question. His anger is frequently followed by pity, remorse, shame and
fear. The emotion is both pleasant and unpleasant. The disappearance
is usually unpleasant and leaves a wealth of affective tendencies
and mental attitudes which are later a source of both pleasant and
unpleasant feelings. Anger is one of the greatest stimuli he has to
do work.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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