title: The relationship between anger and heterosexual behavior. An investigation in a nonclinical sample of urban Italian undergraduates.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The relationship between anger and sexual behavior has never been thoroughly addressed, although it may deserve special attention because of its theoretical and practical consequences.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We were interested in determining the extent in which trait anger was associated with dysfunctional sexual behavior, taking into account possible gender differences.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this correlational study, 410 volunteers (199 men and 211 women) recruited from the students of the University of Messina, Italy, participated in the study. Median age of participants was 24 years. Men and women did not differ significantly in age (U = 18996, P = 0.606).
  
  
  METHODS
  The individuals' sexual behavior was assessed using the Sex and the Average Woman (or Man) questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found no association between trait anger and either measure of sexual motivation: sexual excitement, r (396) = 0.11, P = 0.016, and sexual fulfillment, r (396) = -0.06, P = 0.134. Also, gender had no effect on either of these two variables. Trait anger had a positive significant correlation with neurotic sex, r (396) = 0.29, P < 0.002, impersonal sex, r (396) = 0.20, P < 0.002, and aggressive sex, r (396) = 0.28, P < 0.002. As we predicted, the associations between trait anger and these last three variables were stronger for men than for women (although only aggressive sex had a significant result). In multivariate analyses, impersonal sex ceased to be a significant correlate of trait anger.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Trait anger has a negative effect on sexual behavior. It seems to exert its worst effects on the nature of sexual interpersonal behavior rather than on sexual motivation. We found no effect of gender on sexual motivation. However, the positive correlation between anger and relational sexual behavior was stronger for men than for women.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosciences, Psychiatric and Anesthesiological Sciences, University Hospital of Messina, Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria R A
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Muscatello
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bruno
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Scimeca
authors.forename: Gianluca
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pandolfo
authors.forename: Riccardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Paduano
authors.forename: Umberto
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Mico'
authors.forename: Paolo Micali
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Bellinghieri
authors.forename: Floriana
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Di Nardo
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Iannuzzo
authors.forename: Vincenza
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Cofini
authors.forename: Ferdinando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Di Orio
authors.forename: Rocco
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zoccali
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000786:Anger; D005260:Female; D020010:Heterosexuality; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D020018:Sexual Dysfunctions, Psychological / Q000523:psychology; D013334:Students; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014505:Urban Population; D055815:Young Adult