NAMA Understanding Anger & Its Causes 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which physical symptom is LEAST likely to be a direct warning sign of rising anger?
- Increased heart rate
- Muscle tension in the jaw and shoulders
- Decreased pupil size (Correct answer)
- Feeling flushed or hot
Correct answer: Decreased pupil size
During anger, the sympathetic nervous system causes pupil dilation (not constriction) along with elevated heart rate, muscle tension, and flushing.
Question 2: A driver who becomes intensely angry when cut off in traffic—even when not in a hurry—is most likely experiencing which type of anger trigger?
- Injustice trigger
- Threat to ego trigger (Correct answer)
- Environmental trigger
- Loss of control trigger
Correct answer: Threat to ego trigger
Being cut off can feel like a challenge to one's competence or status, making it a threat-to-ego trigger that provokes disproportionate anger.
Question 3: What does 'displaced anger' mean in anger management terminology?
- Anger that is physically acted out
- Anger directed at a safe target rather than the true source (Correct answer)
- Anger that disappears without being addressed
- Anger expressed only in written form
Correct answer: Anger directed at a safe target rather than the true source
Displaced anger occurs when a person vents frustration on a substitute target (e.g., snapping at family) instead of confronting the actual source.
Question 4: Which of the following best describes 'passive-aggressive' anger expression?
- Directly confronting the source of anger with raised voice
- Indirect resistance and negative attitudes instead of open expression (Correct answer)
- Physical aggression without verbal communication
- Suppressing anger through meditation
Correct answer: Indirect resistance and negative attitudes instead of open expression
Passive-aggressive behavior expresses hostility indirectly through actions like procrastination, sarcasm, or deliberate inefficiency.
Question 5: According to cognitive-behavioral theory, what most directly determines whether a situation triggers anger?
- The severity of the external event alone
- The individual's appraisal or interpretation of the event (Correct answer)
- The person's genetic makeup
- The time of day the event occurs
Correct answer: The individual's appraisal or interpretation of the event
CBT holds that it is not the event itself but how a person interprets and appraises it that generates emotional responses like anger.
Question 6: Chronic suppression of anger has been linked to which health consequence?
- Reduced blood pressure
- Weakened immune function and increased cardiovascular risk (Correct answer)
- Improved emotional regulation over time
- Decreased cortisol production
Correct answer: Weakened immune function and increased cardiovascular risk
Persistently bottling up anger maintains elevated stress hormones, which over time suppress immunity and increase the risk of heart disease.
Question 7: Which scenario best illustrates 'instrumental aggression' fueled by anger?
- Yelling impulsively after stubbing a toe
- Using anger deliberately to intimidate a coworker into compliance (Correct answer)
- Crying after a frustrating argument
- Feeling angry but walking away without acting
Correct answer: Using anger deliberately to intimidate a coworker into compliance
Instrumental aggression is goal-directed—anger is used as a calculated tool to achieve a desired outcome, such as control or compliance.
NAMA Understanding Anger & Its Causes 3
Which physical symptom is LEAST likely to be a direct warning sign of rising anger?