> -----Original Message----- > From: Scott Stewart [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Wednesday, December 12, 2007 9:00 AM > To: CF-Community > Subject: RE: hot headed.. > > I'm calling BS here... > I regularly take out frustrations on a punching bag in a cardio > kickboxing > class... It's insanely cathartic. And I'm as calm as a Buddhist monk > when > I'm done.
Interesting... the thing that first got me really thinking about venting as a form of anger management was "Penn and Teller's Bullshit" (the episode "Anger Management" from season five)... so I call "BullShit" first! ;^) First off it should be obvious but: if that method works for you, great! Don't stop. We're not all wired in the same way and obviously respond to the same stimuli differently. Often something can work for you that's generally not going to work for others. But there's been a lot of research into this stuff and the results are pretty clear. For example: http://www-personal.umich.edu/~bbushman/PSPB02.pdf (This paper references many others as well.) In short three groups were studied, all angry at somebody: one group hit a punching bag and ruminated on the target of their anger, another hit the bag and thought about "getting fit" (distraction) while the last hit nothing (control group). They were then all asked to describe their anger and allowed to direct loud blasts of noise at the person who angered them (to measure aggressiveness). The rumination group maintained the most anger followed by the distraction group followed by the control group with the least anger. The conclusion statement: "Catharsis theory predicts that venting anger should get rid of it and should therefore reduce subsequent aggression. The present findings, as well as previous findings, directly contradict catharsis theory (e.g., Bushman et al., 1999; Geen & Quanty, 1977). For reducing anger and aggression, the worst possible advice to give people is to tell them to imagine their provocateur's face on a pillow or punching bag as they wallop it, yet this is precisely what many pop psychologists advise people to do. If followed, such advice will only make people angrier and more aggressive." I do think we may be talking about two different things and could both be "right" in the end - I'm not sure but I'd bet there's a difference between directed anger ("I'm mad at Tom!") and general frustration ("nothing's going right for me today!") - it may be that a punching bag IS good for the latter (where it might be assumed that there's no directed aggression) but not for the former (where it tends to "feed the flames"). I can't find (in my exhaustive 10 minute search) any papers that differentiate between "anger" and "frustration" but I wouldn't be surprised that they're best managed very differently. I doubt general frustration really needs an aggressive ("punching") activity but rather that any physical distraction will do: running, biking swimming, sewing, etc. I find digging holes immensely relaxing. But the evidence is growing that rumination and venting (thinking about the source of your anger while engaging in aggressive behavior) does, in fact, increase anger and aggression. Jim Davis ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Check out the new features and enhancements in the latest product release - download the "What's New PDF" now http://download.macromedia.com/pub/labs/coldfusion/cf8_beta_whatsnew_052907.pdf Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/CF-Community/message.cfm/messageid:248247 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/CF-Community/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=11502.10531.5
