Anger Expression-Out Research Articles

The effect of aggressive fantasizing on aggressive inclinations: Moderating effects of dispositional anger expression.

Experiencing victimization or mistreatment often induces feelings of anger. The catharsis hypothesis suggests that venting anger may aid in alleviating these negative emotions. Although this hypothesis has faced criticism, therapeutic interventions rooted in catharsis are employed to assist victims in managing their anger. One notable application of the catharsis principle in psychotherapeutic practice with victims involves engaging in aggressive fantasies: Victims who harbor aggressive fantasies against their offenders are supported in working with these fantasies to navigate the complex emotions arising from their victimization. Research investigating the effects of aggressive fantasizing on victims has yielded inconsistent findings, with some studies indicating positive and others suggesting negative outcomes. Herein, we examine whether (instructed) aggressive fantasizing diminishes (catharsis hypothesis) or heightens (escalation hypothesis) subsequent aggressive inclinations compared to non-aggressive fantasizing. Additionally, the moderating role of victims' dispositional tendencies to express anger, specifically Anger Expression-out and Anger Expression-control, in the relationship between aggressive fantasizing and aggressive inclinations was examined. We recruited individuals (N = 245) who had experienced victimization through highly unfair treatment and instructed them to imagine confronting their wrongdoer using either aggressive or non-aggressive communication. Participants then reported their aggressive inclinations. Data supported the escalation hypothesis, revealing that aggressive fantasizing amplifies subsequent aggressive inclinations. Importantly, individuals with higher Anger Expression-out demonstrated greater susceptibility to this effect; whereas, Anger Expression-control did not moderate the link between aggressive fantasizing and inclinations. These findings further challenge the catharsis hypothesis and underscore the role of dispositional anger expression tendencies on the effects of aggressive fantasizing.

The Role of Big Five Personality Traits in Explaining Pedestrian Anger Expression

Although the relationship between anger and personality characteristics in the literature is well-acknowledged for drivers, there is a lack of systematic investigation of pedestrians. The current study aimed to evaluate pedestrian anger expression (PAX) and its contributing factors, including demographics, travel habits, and the big five personality traits. To test the effects of different variables on PAX scales, data from 742 respondents were collected. The data were analyzed through a two-stage approach of clustering and a logistic regression model. Participants were clustered into two groups of low expression and high expression based on their responses to PAX items. An exploratory factor analysis identified significant constructs of PAX, including “Adaptive/Constructive Expression”, “Anger Expression-In”, and “Anger Expression-out”. It was found that males were more likely to show high anger expressions. Public transport usage and previous crash involvement could significantly increase the probability of high anger expression. On the other hand, life satisfaction and intention to avoid traffic were negatively associated with high anger expression. The results revealed that neuroticism, extraversion, and openness to experience could positively contribute to higher anger expression; however, agreeableness and conscientiousness were negatively associated with high anger expression for pedestrians.

ACT Raising Safe Kids Program improves parenting practices, beliefs about physical punishment, management of anger, and mental health: Initial evidence from a study in Brazil

The exposure to child maltreatment has negative consequences for children’s health and development. These serious consequences demonstrate how important it is to develop and implement effective prevention strategies. The ACT Raising Safe Kids Program was developed to prevent child maltreatment and teach positive parenting skills to parents and caregivers. The aim of the present study was to evaluate initial evidence of effectiveness of the ACT Program in Porto Alegre, capital of the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. The study is based on an intervention with one-group pretest-protest design. The sample comprised 47 mothers and 5 fathers with a mean age of 38.73 years (SD = 6.81). Parenting meetings were implemented over nine weeks with groups, on average, composed of nine participants. Parenting practices, physical punishment beliefs, anger, and mental health outcomes were assessed through self-report measures before and after participation in the ACT Program. Measures included sociodemographic data, ACT Evaluation Questionnaire, Physical Punishment Beliefs Scale, State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI-2), and Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21). Within-group comparisons were analyzed through paired samples t-test. The results indicated that parenting practices (emotional and behavioral regulation, communication, and positive discipline), physical punishment beliefs, levels of anger (angry temperament, angry reaction, anger expression-out, and anger control-in), and mental health outcomes (depression and stress) improved significantly from pretest to posttest. The findings indicate the messages were enacted by parents. Further evaluation is required to determine the impact on parenting of the ACT Program in this context employing a randomized controlled design.

Development of the pedestrian anger expression inventory

Objective There has been extensive research into road user behavior, although how pedestrians express their anger has yet to be explored. This is important given the high vulnerability of pedestrians and the additional risks that angry people often undertake. The present study developed a tool to measure one’s tendency to engage in aggressive acts while walking: The pedestrian anger expression inventory (PAX). Methods The survey consisted of 37 items adapted from the Driving Anger Expression Inventory as well as a subset of items from the Pedestrian Behavior Questionnaire. Ten items from the Trait Anger Scale (TAS) questionnaire were also used to assess the general anger tendencies of individuals. A total of 475 participants from Tehran provided complete responses to a questionnaire administered via paper and pencil. Results A Principal Component Analysis showed a 30-item, 3-factor model describing three ways of expressing anger: 1) Anger Expression-In (internalizing anger), 2) Anger Expression-Out (in the form of aggression), and 3) Adaptive/Constructive Expression (dealing with anger in a constructive way). Hierarchical linear regression showed that trait anger was a significant predictor of pedestrian anger expression, above other demographic variables (age and gender). However, age and gender remained significant predictors of pedestrian anger. As age increased, the tendency to become angry while walking decreased. Male pedestrians were also significantly more likely to express their anger aggressively than female pedestrians. Conclusions In this study, we developed a questionnaire to measure anger expression in pedestrians, highlighting three broad ways pedestrians deal with their anger (internally, externally, or constructively). This questionnaire was used in Iran and therefore, further research is required to validate these tools among different samples and populations.

Associations of Maternal Trait Anger Expression and Lifetime Traumatic and Non-traumatic Experiences with Preterm Birth.

Most studies examining psychosocial factors contributing to preterm birth (PTB) have focused on negative life events. Studies examining the influence of negative emotion, in particular maternal anger, remain sparse. We examined associations of maternal trait anger expression and lifetime traumatic and non-traumatic experiences with the risk of PTB. Mother-newborn pairs were enrolled in the PRogramming of Intergenerational Stress Mechanisms pregnancy cohort based in Boston and New York City. Women completed the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory-2 (STAXI-2), Life Stressor Checklist-Revised (LSC-R), and Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) in pregnancy. We used modified Poisson regression to estimate the relative risk (RR) of PTB (1) in relation to continuous STAXI-2 Anger Expression-In (AX-I) and Anger Expression-Out (AX-O) subscales, (2) in relation to continuous LSC-R scores, and (3) between women who did versus did not experience childhood sexual, emotional, and/or physical abuse in six separate models. We also examined interactions between maternal anger expression and lifetime stress/childhood trauma. Younger, single, minority women had higher outward anger expression and inward anger suppression. AX-I and AX-O scores were higher among women who experienced abuse in childhood and who had higher lifetime stress. Maternal lifetime stress, outward anger expression, and inward anger suppression were associated with an increased risk of PTB in separate models; however, stress, trauma and anger did not interact to further increase the risk of PTB. CONCLUSIONSFOR PRACTICE: Higher anger expression and higher lifetime stress experiences were associated with an increased risk of PTB among a racially and ethnically diverse sample of pregnant women.

Short Form of the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory-2

Abstract. The purpose of the present study was to develop a short form of the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory-2 (STAXI-2) based on the German STAXI-2. Item selection was performed based on exploratory factor analyses (EFA) using descriptive statistical parameters and content-related considerations on calibration samples ( N1 = 215, N2 = 310). The factorial structure of the final extracted scales was validated via confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) ( N3 = 216, N4 = 310). Overall, results present an economic and reliable questionnaire with a total length of 24 items: State Anger short scales Feeling Angry, Verbal Anger Impulse, and Physical Anger Impulse (3 items each), that can be aggregated to a total State Anger score, as well as Trait Anger short scales Angry Reaction (3 items), Anger Expression-In, Anger Expression-Out, and Anger Control (4 items each). The structure of State Anger is identical to the German long version with improved internal consistency in the short form. Regarding the Trait scales, critique on the STAXI-2 has been taken into account resulting in the elimination of the subscale Trait Temperament due to redundancy with Trait Anger Expression-Out and for economic reasons. Other than that, the structure has remained the same. In addition, strict measurement invariance was established based on multi-group CFA for both the State and the Trait scales across gender and age groups, which has not been investigated for STAXI-2 versions to date.

3463 Frontal Alpha Asymmetry in Alcohol-Related Intimate Partner Violence

OBJECTIVES/SPECIFIC AIMS: The current study is the first investigation of frontal alpha asymmetry in distressed violent (DV) and distressed nonviolent (DNV) partners during a placebo-controlled alcohol administration and emotion-regulation study. Because this is the first study of the pharmacological effects of alcohol on FAA, the first portion of the study was conducted to characterize alcohol effects in DV and DNV partners during the baseline condition. The subsequent portions of the study were conducted to characterize the effects of alcohol and evocative stimuli on FAA in DV and DNV partners. We hypothesized that DV partners would demonstrated greater left frontal alpha asymmetry when intoxicated and viewing evocative partner stimuli than DNV partners. Lastly, we attempted to replicate previous research that has found associations between baseline measures of FAA and the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory – 2 (Spielberger, 1999) subscales of Trait Anger, Anger Expression-Out, Anger Expression-In, Anger Control-Out, Anger Control-In (Hewig, Hagemann, Seifert, Naumann, & Bartussek, 2004). METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: Partners in the present study were drawn from a larger study investigating over-arousal as a mechanism between alcohol use and intimate partner violence (AA022367). Couples were recruited from the community via radio, television and newspaper advertisements, and eligibility screening occurred at the couple level. Participants included in the present analysis were 23 DV partners (12 female, 11 male), and 15 DNV partners (7 female, 9 male). The mean age of the sample was 32 (SD 4.8 years, range 23-40 years). Data from two DV partners were not included in the analyses of the FAA in the emotion-regulation tasks due to movement artifacts during the alcohol condition leaving too little data for analysis. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: The expected beverage by couple type interaction did not reach significance [F (1, 36) = 3.93, p = .055], but the between-subjects effects of couple type revealed a significant difference [F (1, 36) = 4.425, p = .042]. Contrary to our hypothesis, however, these results suggest that under conditions of alcohol, DV partners evidenced significantly greater relative right frontal alpha power asymmetry whereas DNV partners evidenced greater relative left frontal alpha power asymmetry. Although there was no significant between-subjects effect, there was a nearly significant interaction between beverage type and emotion regulation condition [F = (1, 36) = 4.032, p = .052] and a significant main effect of emotion regulation condition [F (1, 36) = 7.579, p = .009]. It appears that asking the participants to “not react” to their partners’ evocative stimuli caused significantly greater right frontal alpha asymmetry. Because intimate partner violence is best understood in the context of conflict between two partners, we also examined partner-reported experiences of anger as predictors of DV participant’s FAA. The model as a whole predicted 67.4% of the variance in DV partner FAA, R squared change =.674, F Change (5, 15) = 6.21, p = .003. Three anger experience scales were statistically significant. The partner Anger Control-Out (B = -1.23, p =.001) scale recorded a higher standardized beta value and accounted for 40% of the variance in this model. Anger Control-In (B = .63, p = .022) accounted for 14% of the variance in the model, and Anger Expression-Out scale (B = .57, p = .024) accounted for 13.7% of the variance in the model. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: The current study is the first pharmacological study of the effects of alcohol on frontal alpha asymmetry in distressed violent and distressed nonviolent partners. Contrary to our hypothesis, under acute alcohol intoxication during the baseline condition, DV partners exhibited significantly greater relative right FAA compared to DNV partners who exhibited significantly greater relative left FAA. Because intimate partner violence is best understood in the context of couple conflict, we examined the ability of partners’ anger experiences to predict DV and DNV partners’ FAA, and a very interesting pattern emerged among our DV participants and their partners. The anger experiences of our DV participants’ partners accounted for 67% of the variance in the FAA of our DV participants when they were intoxicated and viewing evocative stimuli.

Relationship between anger and drug addiction potential as factors affecting the health of medical students.

BACKGROUND:One of the psychobehavioral factors that can predict drug abuse in students is anger. This study aimed to evaluate the association between anger and drug addiction potential in medical students in Iran in relation to their gender and college.MATERIALS AND METHODS:This descriptive and analytical cross-sectional study was conducted on 373 students of five colleges at Lorestan University of Medical Sciences in Iran. For collecting data, Persian versions of state-trait anger expression inventory-2 and addiction potential scale were employed. Data were analyzed in SPSS software using t-test, one-way ANOVA, and Pearson correlation test.RESULTS:There was a significant positive relationship between subjective components of anger (sate anger, trait anger, anger expression-out, and anger expression-in) and addiction potential in samples (P < 0.05), while anger regulation components (anger control-in and anger control-out) had significant negative correlation with addiction potential (P < 0.05). Moreover, a significant difference was found in mean addiction potential scores between samples based on gender and college. With respect to mean anger scores, the difference between students based on gender was significant only in terms of state anger and anger expression-in, while we found no significant difference between them based on college except in anger expression-out (P < 0.05).CONCLUSION:Subjective components of anger can predict drug addiction potential in medical students. It is recommended that anger management programs should be provided to the medical students as one of the most important community groups in the field of public health.

Efficacy of anger management interventions for individuals with traumatic brain injury: A systematic review

The purpose of this systematic review is to examine the efficacy of anger management interventions for individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI). A total of 4,178 articles were identified of which six met the inclusion criteria. Anger management interventions included TBI education, anger education, emotional recognition, support, and maintenance of an anger log. Data were collected on eight outcomes (trait anger, anger expression-out, anger control, self-reported aggressiveness, anger recognition strategies, well-being, self-reported anger, and treatment satisfaction) with mixed findings. Suggestions for recreational therapy practice are provided. Further research is needed, particularly for the pediatric and adolescent TBI population.

Association of Anger Expression-Out with NK Cell Counts in Colorectal Cancer Patients.

There is growing evidence describing the relation between psychological factors and the progression of colorectalcancer. Several mechanisms have been proposed but the one showing more promising evidence relies on the modulation of the antitumoralimmune response by psychological factors, particularly through natural killer cells. We aimed to study the relation betweennatural killer cell count and anxiety, depression and anger state, trait and expression in 54 pre-surgical colorectal cancer patients. We measured peripheral blood natural killer cell count and applied the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventoryand the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale to 54 pre-surgical colorectal cancer patients. We used the Mann-Whitney U test and theKruskal-Wallis test when appropriate to compare independent groups. Patients with higher Anger Expression-Out had lower natural killer cell numbers than patients with lower Anger Expression-Out (p value = 0.008). No relation was found between natural killer cell levels and Anger State, Anger Trait, or Anger Expression-In. Nodifference in natural killer cell count was found between patients with and without clinical anxiety or depression. These results suggest that, in colorectal cancer patients, natural killer cell counts are influenced by Anger Expression-Out, but not by clinical anxiety or depression. The unregulated emotional expression might be a conditioning factor of innate immunity. Additional studies are neededto further investigate this relation and to ascertain the clinical impact of therapeutic interventions regarding emotional regulation on theanti-tumoral immune response.

Anger Self-Management Training for Chronic Moderate to Severe Traumatic Brain Injury: Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial.

To test efficacy of 8-session, 1:1 treatment, anger self-management training (ASMT), for chronic moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). Three US outpatient treatment facilities. Ninety people with TBI and elevated self-reported anger; 76 significant others (SOs) provided collateral data. Multicenter randomized controlled trial with 2:1 randomization to ASMT or structurally equivalent comparison treatment, personal readjustment and education (PRE). Primary outcome assessment 1 week posttreatment; 8-week follow-up. Response to treatment defined as 1 or more standard deviation change in self-reported anger. SO-rated anger, emotional and behavioral status, satisfaction with life, timing of treatment response, participant and SO-rated global change, and treatment satisfaction. State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory-Revised Trait Anger (TA) and Anger Expression-Out (AX-O) subscales; Brief Anger-Aggression Questionnaire (BAAQ); Likert-type ratings of treatment satisfaction, global changes in anger and well-being. After treatment, ASMT response rate (68%) exceeded that of PRE (47%) on TA but not AX-O or BAAQ; this finding persisted at 8-week follow-up. No significant between-group differences in SO-reported response rates, emotional/behavioral status, or life satisfaction. ASMT participants were more satisfied with treatment and rated global change in anger as significantly better; SO ratings of global change in both anger and well-being were superior for ASMT. ASMT was efficacious and persistent for some aspects of problematic anger. More research is needed to determine optimal dose and essential ingredients of behavioral treatment for anger after TBI.

Inside–out: the role of anger experience and expression in the development of postpartum mood disorders

Purpose: Among negative emotions, anger has not been studied in as much depth in her connection to postpartum mood disorders. The study aimed to investigate the role of anger as a potential vulnerability factor increasing the risk of Maternity Blues (MB) and Postpartum Depression (PPD).Materials and methods: Pregnant women in their third trimester of pregnancy underwent the following tests: the State Trait Anger Expression Inventory 2 – STAXI-2 (baseline visit), the Blues Questionnaire -BQ (3 and 5 days after delivery), and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) (3 and 6 months following delivery).Results: One hundred ten subjects were included in this study. The prevalence rate of mothers with MB was about 35%, whereas about 4% of women developed a PPD. Significant positive correlations were found among State anger (SANG), Trait anger (TANG), anger expression out (AXO) and in (AXI) and postpartum depressive disorders, as measured by blues questionnaire (BQ) and EPDS.Conclusions: Anger experience and expression can be considered as vulnerability factors for postpartum mood disorders onset. Particularly, the expression of angry feelings toward other persons or objects in the environment (AXO) predicts the onset of MB, whereas holding in or suppressing angry feelings (AXI) could be a risk factor for subsequent PPD.

Attention and interpretation processes and trait anger experience, expression, and control

ABSTRACTThis study explored attention and interpretation biases in processing facial expressions as correlates of theoretically distinct self-reported anger experience, expression, and control. Non-selected undergraduate students (N = 101) completed cognitive tasks measuring attention bias, interpretation bias, and Spielberger’s State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI-2). Attention bias toward angry faces was associated with higher trait anger and anger expression and with lower anger control-in and anger control-out. The propensity to quickly interpret ambiguous faces as angry was associated with greater anger expression and its subcomponent of anger expression-out and with lower anger control-out. Interactions between attention and interpretation biases did not contribute to the prediction of any anger component suggesting that attention and interpretation biases may function as distinct mechanisms. Theoretical and possible clinical implications are discussed.

Personality predictors of anger. The role of FFM traits, shyness, and self-esteem

Abstract The present study was designed to verify hypothesized predictor effects for five anger-related variables, i.e. trait anger, anger expression-out, anger expression-in, anger control-out, and anger-control-in. A sample of 138 students completed measures for FFM personality traits (NEO-FFI), self-esteem (SES), shyness (RCBS), and anger (STAXI-2). The study confirmed the effects of neuroticism and agreeableness as being the chief personality predictors of anger; however, for the domain of anger expression-in, an unexpected role of extraversion was revealed. Furthermore, introducing self-esteem and shyness changed some effects of FFM traits. Entering self-esteem as an additional predictor improved the predictability of anger control-in. Additionally, a mediation effect of shyness was revealed for the relation between extraversion and anger expression-in.

Anger Assessment in Clinical and Nonclinical Populations: Further Validation of the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory-2.

The most commonly used instrument for measuring anger is the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory-2 (STAXI-2; Spielberger, 1999). This study further examines the validity of the STAXI-2 and compares anger scores between several clinical and nonclinical samples. Reliability, concurrent, and construct validity were investigated in Dutch undergraduate students (N = 764), a general population sample (N = 1211), and psychiatric outpatients (N = 226). The results support the reliability and validity of the STAXI-2. Concurrent validity was strong, with meaningful correlations between the STAXI-2 scales and anger-related constructs in both clinical and nonclinical samples. Importantly, patients showed higher experience and expression of anger than the general population sample. Additionally, forensic outpatients with addiction problems reported higher Anger Expression-Out than general psychiatric outpatients. Our conclusion is that the STAXI-2 is a suitable instrument to measure both the experience and the expression of anger in both general and clinical populations.

High Anger Expression is Associated with Reduced Cortisol Awakening Response and Health Complaints in Healthy Young Adults.

The extant evidence suggests a robust positive association between expression (anger expression-out) and suppression (anger expression-in) of anger and compromised health. Nevertheless, the underlying psychobiological mechanisms which explain these relationships are not well understood. This study examined whether anger expression would predict general health, cortisol awakening response (CAR) and evening cortisol levels in a community sample of 156 healthy young adults of both genders. Participants were distributed into two groups according to their anger expression scores: high and low anger expression (HAE and LAE, respectively). Findings indicated that those with HAE had worse self-reported health (p = .02) and higher CAR than the LAE group (p = .04). Moreover, high levels of anger expression-out (p < .01) and -in (p < .01, for all) predicted a worse self-reported health in both groups. On the other hand, high anger expression-out was associated with flattened CAR but only in the HAE group (p < .01). This study reinforces the need to develop effective strategies to provide mechanisms to regulate anger expression by promoting personal growth and positive skills that enhance individuals' well-being and quality of life and, in turn, their own health.

Psychometric adaptation of the driving anger expression inventory in a Chinese sample

The purpose of this study was to assess the psychometric properties and the factorial structure of the Driving Anger Expression Inventory (DAX) in a Chinese sample. We also explored the relationships among driving anger expression, general anger expression, and driving outcomes. Three hundred and fifty-eight drivers completed the Chinese version of the DAX, the Anger Expression Scale (AX), the Dula Dangerous Driving Index (DDDI) and a questionnaire about several types of traffic violations. A confirmatory factor analysis of the Chinese DAX yielded a four-factor solution with 20 items. This solution showed the best goodness of fit of the data and acceptable reliability. The validity of the revised DAX was also verified. The aggressive expression forms were positively correlated with dangerous driving behaviors. Using the vehicle to express anger was associated with fines. The aggressive forms were also positively correlated with general anger expression-out and negatively correlated with general anger control. The adaptive expression of anger was positively correlated with anger control but negatively correlated with dangerous driving behaviors, penalty points and fines. Furthermore, young drivers (<30years old) reported more personal and physical aggressive expressions of anger than other drivers. Gender differences were only found in some age groups. Thus, the revised DAX was confirmed to be a reliable and valuable instrument to measure forms of driving anger expression in traffic environments in China.

Violent Offenders’ Within-Treatment Change in Anger, Criminal Attitudes, and Violence Risk: Associations with Violent Recidivism

This study aimed to examine the recidivist outcomes for a group of incarcerated violent offenders, based on whether they achieved pre-post raw psychometric change, reliable change, and/or clinically significant change (CSC) following treatment completion. Participants included 42 adult male violent offenders (age range 21 to 67 years) who participated in a medium- or high-intensity, group-based violent offender treatment program offered within prisons, operated by Corrections Victoria. These men were followed in the community for an average of 3.9 years post-release, and were assessed on four risk-related variables pre- and post-treatment: General Criminal Thinking (GCT), Trait Anger (T-Ang), Anger Expression/Out (AX/O), and Overall Violence Risk (OVR). Mean levels of GCT and OVR significantly reduced following treatment; no significant changes in T-Ang and AX/O were observed. Although a small proportion of offenders achieved reliable and/or CSC, within-treatment changes were not predictive of violent recidivism. This article describes, critiques, and tests methods of intra-individual within-treatment change and provides a blueprint for future analyses linking intra-individual change and violent reoffending.

Effects of anger management on the suffering of family caregivers of people with dementia

The main goal of this research is to study the effects of anger management on family caregivers of people with dementia focusing on the psychological and somatic distress resulting from their work as caregivers. 139 caregivers participated, 108 women (age: 53.99 years, SD = 12.22) and 31 men (age: 55.35 years, SD = 14.86). In the analysis of the results disaggregated by gender, a three-variable predictive model of anger management is observed in female caregivers (Anger Expression-Out, Anger Expression-In and Anger Control-Out) which explains 30% of the variance of psychological and somatic distress of these caregivers. Regarding male caregivers, we have obtained a two-variable predictive model of anger management (Anger Expression-Out and Anger Expression-In) explaining 40.3% of the variance in the level of psychological and somatic distress.

Immunoglobulin A response to acute stress in intimate partner violence perpetrators: The role of anger expression-out and testosterone

Aggressive behavior and immune activity are shown to be positively associated in perpetrators of intimate partner violence (IPV). This relationship follows an inverted-U curve, with the most violent individuals showing lower levels of immunocompetence than those with a history of moderate violence. Moreover, the activational and organizational effects of testosterone (T) may indirectly stimulate the immune response. Given this, we used the Trier Social Stress Test to establish whether the salivary immunoglobulin A (sIgA) response to acute stress was a specific psychobiological feature in perpetrators of intimate partner violence (IPV). IPV perpetrators showed higher sIgA levels than controls for the preparation period. Moreover, higher anger expression and T (baseline and AUCi) were only related to higher sIgA levels in IPV perpetrators. We hypothesize that in IPV perpetrators, the use of violence against partners could benefit their psychological well-being – through immunological modifications such as mucosal immunity changes expressed by the sIgA – and so be rewarding for them. This research may provide a wider explanation of why IPV perpetrators use violence against their partners.