CSAM Anger Management Theories & Techniques 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which technique asks clients to rate anger intensity on a 0–10 scale throughout the day to increase self-awareness?
- Anger diary / log
- Subjective units of distress scale (SUDS) tracking (Correct answer)
- Behavioral activation scheduling
- Mood induction procedure
Correct answer: Subjective units of distress scale (SUDS) tracking
SUDS-based tracking is used in anger management to help clients monitor fluctuations in anger intensity and identify patterns across situations.
Question 2: In Gottman's research on couples, which metaphor describes the point at which anger-driven flooding prevents constructive discussion?
- The Four Horsemen
- Contempt cascade
- Emotional hijacking
- Diffuse physiological arousal (DPA) threshold (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Diffuse physiological arousal (DPA) threshold
Gottman identified diffuse physiological arousal (DPA) as the threshold beyond which partners can no longer process information or problem-solve effectively.
Question 3: A CSAM practitioner teaching 'I-statements' is implementing which communication skill?
- Assertiveness training (Correct answer)
- Active listening
- Nonviolent communication (NVC)
- Conflict defusion
Correct answer: Assertiveness training
I-statements ('I feel frustrated when…') are a core assertiveness training technique that expresses feelings without blaming, reducing defensive anger reactions.
Question 4: Which psychodynamic concept explains anger as repressed emotional energy that must be expressed to prevent symptom formation?
- Projection
- Catharsis (Correct answer)
- Reaction formation
- Intellectualization
Correct answer: Catharsis
The catharsis hypothesis holds that expressing repressed anger releases psychic tension, though modern research challenges its effectiveness for anger reduction.
Question 5: In group anger management, a client who vents extensively while others sit silently demonstrates which group dynamics issue?
- Scapegoating
- Groupthink
- Monopolizing (Correct answer)
- Social loafing
Correct answer: Monopolizing
Monopolizing occurs when one group member dominates airtime, limiting therapeutic opportunity for others and requiring facilitative intervention.
Question 6: Which coping strategy involves mentally stepping outside oneself to view an anger-provoking situation from a third-person perspective?
- Distancing / self-distancing (Correct answer)
- Cognitive defusion
- Grounding
- Behavioral rehearsal
Correct answer: Distancing / self-distancing
Self-distancing (or psychological distancing) reduces anger intensity by creating mental space between the self and the provocation, facilitating wiser reasoning.
Question 7: Raymond Novaco's anger treatment model emphasizes that anger has a functional role. Which of the following best reflects that function?
- Anger is always maladaptive and should be eliminated
- Anger mobilizes energy to address perceived injustices and threats (Correct answer)
- Anger is purely a social signal with no internal utility
- Anger serves only to damage interpersonal relationships
Correct answer: Anger mobilizes energy to address perceived injustices and threats
Novaco's model recognizes anger as adaptive when it motivates protective action or problem-solving, becoming problematic only when dysregulated or disproportionate.
CSAM Anger Management Theories & Techniques 4
Which technique asks clients to rate anger intensity on a 0–10 scale throughout the day to increase self-awareness?