Premium
A Three‐Factor Model of Trait Anger: Dimensions of Affect, Behavior, and Cognition
Author(s) -
Martin René,
Watson David,
Wan Choi K.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
journal of personality
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.082
H-Index - 144
eISSN - 1467-6494
pISSN - 0022-3506
DOI - 10.1111/1467-6494.00119
Subject(s) - psychology , anger , neuroticism , agreeableness , aggression , trait , big five personality traits , confirmatory factor analysis , cognition , affect (linguistics) , personality , developmental psychology , hierarchical structure of the big five , social psychology , extraversion and introversion , structural equation modeling , psychiatry , statistics , mathematics , communication , computer science , programming language
The structure of trait anger was tested in a study of 24 self‐report scales. Exploratory factor analyses in an undergraduate sample ( N = 457) yielded a two‐factor model (comprising cynicism and aggression) and a three‐factor model (representing angry emotions, aggressive behaviors, and cynicism). Subsequent evaluations, including confirmatory factor analyses, indicated that the three‐factor model provided the best characterization of the trait anger domain. The three‐factor solution was consistent with an ‘ABC’ conceptualization of trait anger, consisting of the dimensions of affect, behavior, and cognition. The three factors showed strikingly different associations with the Big Five personality traits. Angry Affect was most strongly related to Neuroticism, whereas Behavioral Aggression was associated with low Agreeableness. Cynical Cognition represented a blend of neurotic and disagreeable characteristics. Modest mean‐level differences were observed between the genders for each factor.