| Authors examined three cognitive processes by which anger is inhibited to determine if distinct anger management strategies were related to pain and displaced aggression in different ways. 145 healthy men and women were randomized to ruminate about, suppress, or distract themselves from thoughts and feelings related to an anger induction task in which they received critical feedback about their writing ability. Then participants tolerated a cold pressor and participated in a displaced aggression task. Self reports of pain and anger and cardiovascular measures were obtained during each experimental task. Ruminators exhibited sustained levels of anger relative to distracters and suppressors following anger induction. They were also more likely to exhibit retaliation during the displaced aggression task. Distracters demonstrated increased pain tolerance, although group differences were only marginally significant. We also tested a cognitive mechanism, explicit and implicit recall of anger-related material, for the relationship between anger inhibition and pain for ruminators and suppressors, respectively. Mediator models proposed to test this mechanism were not supported by the data. Also, findings were not moderated by individual difference variables. Taken together, results suggest rumination appears to contribute, in part, to negative emotional, physical, and social consequences, lending support to associative network theories of mood. Findings may be clinically relevant; implementation of distraction strategies may promote anger control and reduce adverse consequences of this emotion. This study stimulated interesting questions for future consideration. Further investigation of mediation models to identify a theoretically-based mechanism for the anger inhibition---pain relationship and development of alternative methods to experimentally induce suppression may promote our understanding of demonstrated links between anger inhibition, pain, and treatment outcomes among chronic pain patients. |
