‘Venting’ doesn’t reduce anger
Conventional wisdom says that venting your anger can help – but it turns out there isn’t actually a shred of scientific evidence to support ‘catharsis theory’. In an analysis of 154 studies on anger that was started to examine the effectiveness of ‘rage rooms’ (rooms where people are encouraged to take their anger out on inanimate objects), there is more evidence that venting increases anger rather than decreasing it.
“I wanted to debunk the whole theory of expressing anger as a way of coping with it,” said Sophie Kjærvik, a communication scientist at Virginia Commonwealth University. “We wanted to show that reducing arousal, and actually the physiological aspect of it, is really important.”
What they found worked relied on the Schachter-Singer two-factor theory which describes anger as both a mental and physical phenomenon. Cognitive behavior therapy is one avenue that can help address the cognitive side of anger, but studies show it is not sufficient for many people. Recognizing that anger has both physical and mental components means dealing with it involves addressing both components.
Researches found that even those good feelings we get from venting can actually just reinforce aggression if it spurs us to thoughts of revenge/getting even/etc. Instead, using cognitive therapy works well for the mental side.
So what works for the physical component? They examined arousal-increasing (running, boxing, yelling) and arousal-reducing (relaxation techniques like deep breathing, meditation, breathing) activities.
Arousal-bosting activities might be good for the heart, but didn’t reduce anger. In some cases, it even increases anger. Jogging was one of the most likely activities to increase anger. Not all arousal-increasing activities are poor choices for anger. Some ball sports and activities involving play seemed to reduce physiological arousal, suggesting fun might be a factor.
Calming activities, however, consistently provided the best options for reducing anger in the lab and in the field. Effective arousal-reducing activities were simple calming activities like taking a time out, counting to 10, diaphragmatic breathing, mindfulness/meditation practices, progressive muscle relaxation, and slow yoga.
Instead of venting anger, researchers recommend undermining it by turning down the heat. As the old adage goes, “Fighting fire with fire usually just gives you more fire. Fight fire with water.”
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