Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: The study presents the Anger Activism Model (AAM) predicting that for proattitudinal audiences anger facilitates pervasion and for counter-attitudinal audiences anger is detrimental for attitude change. In addition to the feelings of anger about the issue, message-induced anger was examined. The predictions of the model were tested by 2 experiments using a 2 x 2 independent groups experimental design. Based on feelings of anger and perceptions of efficacy, participants (Nstudy_1 = 175; Nstudy_2 = 140) were clustered into 4 groups: activist, empowered, angry, and disinterested. Results were consistent with the predictions: Proattitudinal individuals high in anger and efficacy perceived greater message persuasiveness, and were most willing to engage in more difficult behaviors. For counterattitudinal individuals, anger debilitated persuasion. Implications, limitations, and further research directions are discussed.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: This study develops and tests a new model linking neighborhood strain to the emotion of anger. Perceived neighborhood disorder, identified both by social signs of disorder, such as crime, and physical signs of disorder, such as vandalism, can lead to a fear of victimization. Fear of victimization is linked to anger as an emotional response to this strain. Data are used from Ross and Britt’s Illinois survey on Community, Crime, and Health (1995). Multilevel results indicate that while anger does not vary significantly across neighborhoods, the influence of perceived neighborhood disorder and fear of victimization both have moderate positive relationships with anger, and perceived disorder is mediated by a fear of victimization. The lack of significant variance across neighborhoods in anger patterns may be the result of unreliable level 2 units with not enough individuals nested within them. The relationship between fear of victimization and anger is conditional on an individual’s sense of control: those individuals who fear victimization and have a low sense of control will be angry more often while those with a high sense of control will actually be angry less. This is in net of both objective neighborhood characteristics as well as individual socioeconomic indicators.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: The ability of anger to facilitate or debilitate persuasion in pro-attitudinal vs. counter-attitudinal messages was investigated using the Anger Activism Model (AAM). Undergraduate students (N=175) were recruited for 2 x 2 independent groups experimental design to examine the effect of anger appeals and efficacy on attitudes and behavioral intentions. Pro-attitudinal audiences can be subdivided into four groups based on feelings of anger and perceptions of efficacy: activist, empowered, angry, and disinterested. Results indicated that groups descended in order from most to least persuasive outcomes. Pro-attitudinal individuals high in anger and efficacy had positive attitudes, perceived message persuasiveness, and were most willing to engage in difficult behaviors. For counter-attitudinal individuals, anger debilitated persuasion. The findings illustrate that not only is the level of anger important, but that the level of efficacy is critical.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: Aggressive driving is a serious problem throughout the United States (e.g., Mizell, 1997; Tasca, 2001). Much of the literature addressing this phenomenon examines factors such as demographics (e.g., Arnett, 1994), personality characteristics (e.g., Deffenbacher, Huff, Lynch, Oetting, & Salvatore, 2000), and environmental circumstances (e.g., Turner, Layton, & Simons, 1975) as aggressive driving predictors. Using Berkowitz’s (1993) priming effects theory, the present study examines the effects of music (non-violent music with non-violent lyrics, violent music with no lyrics, and violent music with violent lyrics) on college students’ negative-valence thoughts, driving anger, and state anger, using a longitudinal experimental design study. Within-subjects effects analyses for each of the four music conditions indicated a significant quadratic contrast for driving anger, negative-valence thoughts, and state anger. Additionally, results identify predictors of driving anger along with a discussion of implications for communication researchers and the radio broadcast industry.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to answer one question: How do strong emotions such as anger affect message production in the context of negotiations? In the quest to answer this question, this paper examines whether or not emotions such as anger can “hijack” the message production process. The paper addresses what being “hijacked by anger” means, what factors lead to the message production process being hijacked by anger, and what effects hijacking has on the content of the messages. As a result of answering the above questions, a model based in Dillard’s (2004) Goals-Plans-Action (GPA) Model and a cognitive appraisal theory of anger is presented to explain the effects of anger on the message production process and message content in the context of negotiations. The goal of building this model is to first explain what is going on when a calm negotiator changes into an angry and out of control one who lashes out abusively in negotiations. If the message production process can in fact be “hijacked” by anger the next goal is to be able to figure out what is going on cognitively so that the process can be slowed down so that a person can be trained to use a more effective form of anger expression while negotiating such as in the integrative-assertion mode of anger expression. Training may not only prevent hurtful interactions, but also help the negotiator maintain credibility and sound cognitive ability which will enable him/her to obtain their goal in the negotiation.