https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0272735824000357

JavaScript is disabled on your browser. Please enable JavaScript to
use all the features on this page. [1712012498] Skip to main content
Skip to article
Elsevier logo

  * Journals & Books

  * 
  *  Search

RegisterSign in

  * View PDF
  * Download full issue

Search ScienceDirect[                    ]
Elsevier

Clinical Psychology Review

Volume 109, April 2024, 102414
Clinical Psychology Review

Review
A meta-analytic review of anger management activities that increase
or decrease arousal: What fuels or douses rage?

Author links open overlay panelSophie L. Kjaervik ^a ^b, Brad J. 
Bushman ^a
Show more
Share
Cite
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2024.102414Get rights and content
Under a Creative Commons license
open access

Highlights

  * *

    Of all the unpleasant emotions, anger is also the most difficult
    one to regulate.

  * *

    Activities that decrease arousal (e.g., breathing, meditating,
    yoga) decrease anger.

  * *

    Popular wisdom suggests that venting reduces anger and
    aggression, but it does not.

  * *

    Going for a run might is good for your heart, but it is not good
    for managing anger.

Abstract

Anger is an unpleasant emotion that most people want to get rid of.
Some anger management activities focus on decreasing arousal (e.g.,
deep breathing, mindfulness, meditation), whereas others focus on
increasing arousal (e.g., hitting a bag, jogging, cycling). This
meta-analytic review, based on 154 studies including 184 independent
samples involving 10,189 participants, tested the effectiveness of
both types of activities. The results indicated that
arousal-decreasing activities decreased anger and aggression (g =
 -0.63, [-0.82, -0.43]), and the results were robust. Effects were
stable over time for participants of different genders, races, ages,
and cultures. Arousal-decreasing activities were effective in
students and non-students, in criminal offenders and non-offenders,
and in individuals with and without intellectual disabilities.
Arousal-decreasing activities were effective regardless of how they
were delivered (e.g., digital platforms, researchers, therapists), in
both group and individual sessions, and in both field and laboratory
settings. In contrast, arousal-increasing activities were ineffective
overall (g = -0.02, [-0.13, 0.09]) and were heterogenous and complex.
These findings do not support the ideas that venting anger or going
for a run are effective anger management activities. A more effective
approach for managing anger is "turning down the heat" or calming
down by engaging in activities that decrease arousal.

  * Previous article in issue
  * Next article in issue

Keywords

Anger management
Physical activity
Yoga
Mindfulness
Meditation
Relaxation
Recommended articles

Data availability

https://osf.io/u3vjn/

Cited by (0)

(c) 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Recommended articles

No articles found.

Article Metrics

View article metrics
Elsevier logo with wordmark

  * About ScienceDirect
  * Remote access
  * Shopping cart
  * Advertise
  * Contact and support
  * Terms and conditions
  * Privacy policy

Cookies are used by this site. Cookie Settings

All content on this site: Copyright (c) 2024 Elsevier B.V., its
licensors, and contributors. All rights are reserved, including those
for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies. For
all open access content, the Creative Commons licensing terms apply.

RELX group home page