Gender and gender role in relation to anger and anger expression

Abstract

This study explored the relationships among gender, gender role identity, anger, and anger expression. College undergraduates (219 male and 228 female) completed questionnaires measuring gender role identity, trait anger, anger expression, and anger discomfort. Trait anger correlated positively with anger arousal, range of anger-eliciting situations, anger suppression, negative outward expression, and anger discomfort and correlated negatively with anger control. Outward negative expression and controlled expression correlated negatively. Anger suppression revealed small correlations with outward expression and anger control. Anger discomfort correlated positively with anger suppression and outward negative expression and correlated negatively with control. Effect sizes were small for all these relationships. Men scored higher on anger proneness, anger reactivity, anger arousal, range of anger-eliciting situations, and negative outward expression. Women scored higher on angry temperament. There were no gender effects on anger suppression, control, and anger discomfort. Again, gender effect sizes were small. The variance accounted for by gender role beyond that accounted for by gender ranged from small to large. Angry temperament and negative outward expression were related to high masculinity, anger arousal with low femininity, and anger proneness, angry reactivity, and responding to a broad range of situations with anger with low femininity in men only. Controlled expression was related to high femininity, and anger suppression to low masculinity. Anger discomfort was related to low masculinity for both genders, but also with more femininity for women. When comparing gender role groups, the majority of significant differences were between the masculine and feminine groups, with the androgynous and undifferentiated groups falling in between. The masculine group was more prone to anger and more likely to express their anger outwardly in a negative fashion. The feminine group was more likely to control the expression of their anger. There were no significant differences between the gender role groups in anger suppression, discomfort with one's own anger, anger reactivity, anger arousal, and range of situations that elicit anger. Gender role effect sizes were small to moderate. Small gender effects and somewhat larger gender role effects were found in this study. However, relationships were not large and not always consistent with gender role stereotypes.