Anger rumination: an antecedent of athlete aggression?

By J. Maxwell. 2004

157 citations recorded by the source corpus.

Abstract Objectives . The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between anger rumination (the propensity to think almost obsessively over past experiences that have provoked negative affect in the form of anger) and athlete aggression. It was predicted that high levels of anger rumination would be associated with an increased propensity to aggress. Method . A questionnaire comprising the Anger Rumination Scale ( Sukhodolsky, Golub, & Cromwell, 2001 ), aggression and demographic questions was distributed to 305 male and female competitive athletes of varying ability who represented several team and individual sports. Results . Principal component factor analysis revealed a single rumination factor rather than the four-factor solution previously described. No differences in Anger Rumination Scale score were found between males and females, team and individual sport players or competitive level. Provocation and anger rumination were significantly correlated with athletes’ reported aggressive behaviour. Aggression was higher in males compared to females. Type of sport was also related to incidence of aggression; athletes who participated in individual sports reported lower levels of aggression than athletes who played team sports. Conclusions . It was concluded that provocation and anger rumination were significant predictors of subsequent aggression and suggestions for preventing rumination, such as thought stopping and thought switching, were made.

Subfields: Developmental and Educational Psychology, Experimental and Cognitive Psychology, Social Psychology

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/2597712cb5ade1cd347f89673e4b9264d61b3ca9

How researchers see this paper

The researchers whose trusted networks rank it highest, strongest advocate first. Every researcher gets a different order.

In Developmental and Educational Psychology

In Experimental and Cognitive Psychology

In Social Psychology

Citations in the corpus

Perceived impact of anger and anxiety on sporting performance in rugby players (2007, background): “Of the many emotions, anger is frequently experienced and expressed as aggressive behaviour in the athletic domain, particularly in combative and contact sports such as ice-hockey, American football, boxing and karate (Maxwell, 2004; Ruiz & Hanin, 2004a, b; Terry & Slade, 1995).”
Ruminating on Rumination: are Rumination on Anger and Sadness Differentially Related to Aggression and Depressed Mood? (2010, unknown): “Findings were consistent with the hypotheses and with previous research demonstrating a link between anger rumination and anger (Bushman 2002; Rusting and Nolen-Hoeksema 1998), and anger rumination and aggression (e.g., Maxwell 2004).”
The theory of reinvestment (2008, background): “…of consciously accessible task-relevant knowledge that can be used to control movements at a conscious level (see for a review, Masters & Maxwell, 2004).2 Mechanisms that underlie disruption from reinvestment Masters (1992) argued that reinvestment is responsible for movement disruption…”