Why do we get Angry?

When was the last time you felt angry? Maybe it was when somebody cut you off on the freeway. Or when someone made a nasty comment about your character. Or maybe it was when your co-worker got the promotion you knew you so rightly deserved. Whatever the situation, anger is an emotion we have all experienced at some point in our lives, however the reasons for it may be very different. So why do we get angry? And why do so some people experience anger more intensely than others?Dr. Jerry Deffenbarcher was a researcher who looked at this very question; he proposed a model of anger outlining the overriding framework of anger. In this framework Dr. Deffenbarcher considers three principles, namely; the trigger event, individual characteristics and appraisal of situation. Trigger Event The trigger event is the event that precedes feelings of anger; we’ve already covered some potential triggers however there are a range of different scenarios that may serve as trigger events. A common misconception is that these situations directly cause feelings of anger, however this is not necessarily the case! If these situations were objectively the cause of anger, then everybody would respond the same way and we know that this is not always true.Individual Characteristics Individual differences are a key-predetermining factor when it comes to a person’s anger response; these individual differences can be broken down into personality traits and pre-anger state. Certain personality traits or other personal factors may have a major impact in whether one responds with anger or not. For example, people who have more narcissistic traits may also exhibit more aggressive behaviour when faced with a triggering event due to their disproportionately elevated sense of self worth. Similarly people who are more competitive, have a lower frustration tolerance or are impatient may also experience anger more readily.On the other hand however, studies have shown that some individuals experiencing depression may also exhibit increased signs of aggression and anger. Freud stated that depression is often anger turned inwards and it turns out there may be some truth to this. Self-criticism is a common experience of those suffering from depression, and it is associated with both high levels of anger towards the self and high levels of anger towards others. When we are constantly feeding ourselves negative thoughts we often feel frustrated, irritable and angry; it is therefore no surprise that we can often lash out in anger at others.The second aspect we must consider is ones pre-anger state. That is, the state that they were already in before this triggering event occurred. For example, if you had just received some great news, maybe you got a new job or maybe you’ve just booked a holiday, and somebody cuts you off on the freeway sure you may get a little annoyed but maybe you’d brush it off; you’re not going to let this ruin your day. However if you had been rejected from that job, had your holiday cancelled or already been angry from some other event earlier that day and to top it off some guy cuts you off on the freeway … well that may elicit a much more aggressive response. The same may also be true if we are feeling anxious, scared, sad, alcohol/drug affected etc.Appraisal of situation What psychologists refer to, as cognitive appraisal is the theory that a person’s evaluative judgment of any particular situation, event or object will determine their emotional response to it. In other words, the way you perceive a situation will determine the way you react to it. For example, you might make a joke about the shoes one of your friends is wearing. While one friend may laugh and perhaps make a lighthearted joke about your shirt, another may take this deeply personally and lash out in anger. While the first person might have interpreted your comment about their shoes as a silly joke, the second may have perceived you as being patronising, rude or arrogant; or perhaps they value their sense of fashion very highly and consequentially take any comment regarding their attire to heart. In this situation the trigger event was identical however the individual characteristics of each person and therefore their appraisal of this situation was completely different causing one person to become angry and the other to remain calm.So what happens in the brain when we get angry? On a neurological level there are a number of brain structures and hormones that contribute to the onset of an anger response. The amygdala, a small but very powerful part of the brain that is primarily responsible for emotions, will coordinate the release of neurotransmitters called catecholamines. Catecholamines will cause you to feel bursts of energy in preparation for the anticipated physical action the body will take. The hormones epinephrine and norepinephrine (hormones that are activated during the fight/flight response) are also released causing our blood vessels to contract, our heart rate to increase, an increase in muscle strength etc. Furthermore, the frontal cortex is an area of the brain that controls our judgment, decision-making and regulation of activity. Often times if this area becomes dysfunctional people are more likely to feel anger and display aggressive behaviours.Finally, it is fairly well established that testosterone levels tend to be higher in individuals with aggressive behaviour. In fact research has suggested that prisoners who have committed violent crimes appear to have increased levels of testosterone.As we can see there is a lot more to anger than simply experiencing an annoying or frustrating event … so how can we deal with these feelings when they arise? Keep an eye out for my next blog in which I will cover some useful tips on how to handle anger when it arises!