Trait Anger, Appraisal, and Coping Differences Among Adolescent Tennis Players

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine whether high-trait-anger adolescent athletes appraise and cope with anger-provoking events differently than lower-trait-anger athletes. A second purpose was to assess gender differences in anger appraisal and coping. A sample of 103 competitive adolescent tennis players completed the Adolescent Anger Rating Scale (Burney, 2001), the coping function questionnaire (Kowalski & Crocker, 2001), and measures of primary and secondary cognitive appraisals of recent anger provoking events. High-trait-anger athletes used significantly more problem- and emotion-focused coping strategies than those who scored lower. Additionally, those participants who scored higher in reactive anger reported significantly more anger outbursts than those who scored lower. No gender differences were observed. Applied cognitive and behavioral recommendations are discussed.