Professor of Psychology Professor of Communication Studies Does Venting Anger Feed or Extinguish the Flame? (or “Spock Had it Right!”) Brad J. Bushman, Ph.D. Professor of Psychology Professor of Communication Studies Research Professor, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA Professor of Communication Science, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Outline Catharsis theory Why does catharsis theory survive? Do media messages work? Does venting work if people believe in it? Does rumination help or hurt? Meta-analysis

Catharsis Theory Dates back to Aristotle. Term comes from the Greek katharsis, which means to cleanse or purge. Posits that acting aggressively or even viewing aggression purges angry feelings.

Hydraulic Model Frustrations lead to anger, and anger builds up inside a person, like steam inside a pressure cooker, until it is vented. If anger isn’t vented, the person will eventually “explode” in an aggressive rage.

Moratorium on Catharsis Theory In 1973, Albert Bandura issued a statement calling for a moratorium on catharsis theory and the use of venting in therapy because they “may inadvertently reinforce aggressive tendencies.”

Venting Anger is Like Using Gasoline to Put Out a Fire — It Feeds the Flame! Venting keeps arousal levels high. Venting keeps aggressive thoughts active in memory. Venting keeps angry feelings alive.

Why Does Catharsis Theory Survive? Professional psychologists Pop psychologists Mass media

Do Media Messages Work? Subjects: 180 men, 180 women Pro-catharsis: Research Shows that Hitting Inanimate Objects is an Effective Way to Vent Anger. Anti-catharsis: Research Shows that Hitting Inanimate Objects is an Ineffective Way to Vent Anger. Control: Marijuana Smoking Linked to Bleeding Gums.

One of the worst essays I’ve read! Item Not angered Angered Organization +10 -10 Originality +9 -9 Writing style Clarity of expression +8 -8 Persuasive arguments Overall rating Comment: Great essay! One of the worst essays I’ve read!

Subjects Rated a List of Activities Playing solitaire Reading a short story Watching a comedy Playing a computer game Hitting a punching bag

Punching bag preference 0.6 Angered 0.4 Not angered 0.2 Punching bag preference -0.2 -0.4 -0.6 Pro-Catharsis Control Anti-catharsis Bushman, Baumeister, & Stack (1999) Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Study 1

Placebo Effect If venting works under any conditions, it should work when people believe that it works.

Does Venting Work if People Believe That it Works? Subjects: 350 men, 350 women Venting: Hit or did not hit punching bag Message: Pro-catharsis, anti-catharsis, or control Aggression target: Provocateur or innocent third party

Bushman, Baumeister, & Stack (1999) Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Study 2

Predictions based on catharsis theory 0.6 0.4 0.2 Aggression -0.2 -0.4 Pro-catharsis Pro-catharsis Control Anti-catharsis Didn't Hit Bag Hit Bag

Actual results Anti-placebo effect Bushman, Baumeister, & Stack (1999) Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Study 2

Aggression Target Displaced aggression: Target was an innocent bystander. Direct aggression: Target was the same person who criticized the essay. Subjects who vented were just as aggressive against an innocent bystander as against the person who criticized them.

Most People Love to Vent Anger! It Feels Good! Bushman, Baumeister, & Stack (1999) Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Study 2

Correlations between measures ____________________________________ 1. Desire to hit bag — .23* .19* 2. Enjoyed hitting bag — .11* 3. Aggression — Catharsis theory would predict negative correlations, but all are positive! Bushman, Baumeister, & Stack (1999) Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Study 2

Does Rumination Feed or Extinguish the Flame? Subjects: 300 men, 300 women Rumination Distraction Control

Bushman (2002) Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin

Bushman (2002) Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin

Dependent Measures Aggressive affect (anger) Aggressive thoughts Aggressive behavior

Anger Reduction Techniques Aggressive Venting Aggressive fantasy Violent media Nonaggressive Relaxation Cognitive Behavioral All had same effect

Anger Studies Subjects 92 57 10 6 4,045 5,802 316 1,199 Bushman (2006) Capped horizontal bars are 95% confidence intervals

Aggressive Thoughts Studies Subjects 17 146 6 7 1,523 22,985 233 649 Bushman (2006) Capped horizontal bars are 95% confidence intervals

Aggressive Behavior Studies Subjects 80 277 41 11 2,970 47,342 2,230 528 Bushman (2006) Capped horizontal bars are 95% confidence intervals

Pressure Cooker Analogy Wait until the pressure cooker explodes. Periodically reduce the pressure by venting steam. Lower the flame and reduce the heat!

Effective Ways to Reduce Anger Distraction: Think about something else. Relaxation: Try to reduce arousal. Incompatible response: Do something incompatible with anger and aggression. Delay: Let the anger dissipate.

Conclusions Catharsis media messages work. Venting anger doesn’t work (even if people believe that it does). People feel good after venting, but the good feeling increases aggression. Venting anger causes people to aggress against innocent bystanders.

Conclusions Rumination makes people more angry and aggressive. Exercise can distract people (and is good for the heart), but it is not an effective way to reduce anger and aggression. Four strategies do reduce anger and aggression: delay, distraction, relaxation, and incompatible responses.

How Do I Get This Research? All articles are on my web page: http://www.umich.edu/~bbushman E-mail: bbushman@umich.edu Questions?