Citation

Pfeiler TM, Wenzel M, Weber H, Kubiak T. Pers. Individ. Dif. 2017; 114: 61-68.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.paid.2017.03.057

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The present study examined how social status and gender determine anger expression and behavioral reactions toward experienced anger. In two experiments, anger was induced in a staged social interaction. Behavioral anger reactions were judged by observers. In Experiment 1 (equal status condition; N = 110) participants were provoked by a confederate, in Experiment 2 (low status condition; N = 116) participants were provoked by the experimenter. We found that participants expressed their anger to a lesser extent, were less resistant, and engaged in submissive behaviors if they had a lower status than the anger-target. As expected, gender had a moderating effect: While women's anger reactions were affected by having a lower status than the anger-target, men's anger reactions were affected by low status only when interacting with a female anger-target. Our findings provide new evidence regarding behavioral reactions to anger.

Language: en