An investigation of the components of anger management as applied to an incarcerated population.

Anger Management

May 2021

Full Citation

Macpherson, S. L. (1986). An investigation of the components of anger management as applied to an incarcerated population. Dissertation Abstracts International, 47(4-B), 1731. Retrieved from http://ovidsp.ovid.com/ovidweb.cgi?T=JS&PAGE=reference&D=psyc2&NEWS=N&A…

Abstract

The use of anger management techniques developed by Novaco (1975)

were applied to a prison population and evaluated by m ultiple

assessments to determine the therapeutic impact. I n i t i a l l y , the

theories of aggressive behavior were explored from a biological and

environmental standpoint. Social learning theory, as defined by Bandura

(1977), was selected as the theory upon which the therapeutic

interventions were based. The research of Fink (198C), Schlichter and Horan (1981), and

Gaertner (1983) were cited as precedents upon which this study was

designed. Unlike the previous researchers, who followed Meichenbaum's

v1977) stress inoculation model of treatment, this study focused

s p e c ific a lly on the coping s k ills component of stress inoculation. The

coping s k ills component was divided into tra d itio n a l behavioral

techniques and cognitive based therapies. The former emphasized a

modified assertiveness tra in in g , relaxation therapy, and modeling. The

cognitive component provided instruction in ra tio n a l emotive therapy and

self-instruction. Forty-eight subjects were recruited from a medium security prison

setting for inclusion in the s«-udy. Four treatment c e lls consisting of

the traditional behavioral therapy component, a cognitive treatment

component, a combined treatment, and a waiting l i s t control were

employed in the research design. Treatment, except for the w aiting l i s t

control, followed the format of treatment manuals that outlined an eight

week course of therapy.Subjects were assessed on three measures at pretest and posttest.

These included a s e lf-re p o rt (Buss-Durkee H o s tility Survey), role-played provocations, and an in s titu tio n a l adjustment measure. A 2 x 2 analysi

of variance for gain scores was u t iliz e d to assess the e ffe c t of the

presence or absence of the behavioral and the cognitive components.

The resu lts indicated a s ig n ific a n t therapeutic gain with respect

to the cognitive component on the ro le-p lay provocations. A marginal

positive gain was found on the Buss-Durkee H o s tility Inventory for the

behavioral therapy component. The followup measure of in s titu tio n a l

adjustment evidenced a positive trend that f e l l ju st short

of significance for the cognitive component. Because the treatments

appeared to be e ffe c tiv e in a selective manner, inferences about a

possible correlation of assessment content and therapy impact were made.