title: A different view of anger: the cognitive-neoassociation conception of the relation of anger to aggression.
abstract: The common, everyday understanding of anger is problematic in a number of respects-in its inattention to the prototypic nature of this emotional state; in its failure to recognize the important role often played by the critical event's aversiveness; and in its neglect of the frequently close connection between anger arousal and aggression-related motor impulses. This article discusses all of these matters from the point of view of my cognitive-neoassociation perspective [Berkowitz, 1990, 1993, 2010; Berkowitz and Harmon-Jones, 2004]. The role of automatic, nonconscious reactions is considered, and it is also emphasized that angry feelings are linked to approach motivation-movement toward the perceived source of the anger. The article also briefly summarizes relevant research dealing with the self-regulation of anger reactions. This broad review hopefully will prompt further inquiries into the arousal, nature, and operation of anger.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53705, USA. lberkowi@wisc.edu
authors.forename: Leonard
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Berkowitz
mesh_terms: D000374:Aggression; D000786:Anger; D001143:Arousal; D003071:Cognition; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007175:Impulsive Behavior; D007389:Internal-External Control; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male
keywords: aggression cognitive-neoassociation model; aggressive motivation; anger; automatic reactions