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RESEARCH PRODUCT
The power of status: What determines one's reactions to anger in a social situation?
Mario WenzelHannelore WeberThomas KubiakTamara M. Pfeilersubject
media_common.quotation_subject05 social sciencesHuman factors and ergonomicsPoison control050109 social psychologyAngerbehavioral disciplines and activitiesSuicide prevention050105 experimental psychologyOccupational safety and healthSocial relationDevelopmental psychologymental disordersInjury preventionbehavior and behavior mechanisms0501 psychology and cognitive sciencesPsychologypsychological phenomena and processesGeneral PsychologyClinical psychologySocial statusmedia_commondescription
Abstract The present study examined how social status and gender determine anger expression and behavioral reactions toward experienced anger. In two experiments, anger was induced in a staged social interaction. Behavioral anger reactions were judged by observers. In Experiment 1 ( equal status condition ; N = 110) participants were provoked by a confederate, in Experiment 2 ( low status condition ; N = 116) participants were provoked by the experimenter. We found that participants expressed their anger to a lesser extent, were less resistant, and engaged in submissive behaviors if they had a lower status than the anger-target. As expected, gender had a moderating effect: While women's anger reactions were affected by having a lower status than the anger-target, men's anger reactions were affected by low status only when interacting with a female anger-target. Our findings provide new evidence regarding behavioral reactions to anger.
| year | journal | country | edition | language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-08-01 | Personality and Individual Differences |