Date of Award

Fall 12-1-1979

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Arthur M. Horne

Second Advisor

Merle M. Ohlsen

Third Advisor

J. Laurence Passmore

Abstract

This study examined the relative effectiveness of Rational Behavior Therapy and a waiting-list control condition for reducing the frequencies and intensities of anger of inmates. The sample consisted of 46 adult male inmates who attained elevated psychopathic deviate scale scores on the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, and who expressed a desire to join an anger treatment group. The subjects in the treatment condition were exposed to fifteen group sessions of Rational Behavior Therapy, over an eightweek period. The subjects in the control condition experienced a no-treatment waiting-period. All subjects responded to pretest and posttest measures on the Novaco Anger Scale and the Anger Experience Checklist. The Novaco Anger Scale served as a measure of intensity of anger and the Anger Experience Checklist served as measures of both intensity and frequency of anger. The pretest and posttest scores for the treatment and control groups were compared to assess the relative effects of treatment and control upon the frequencies and intensities of anger. Three Two-Way Analysis of Variance Tests with repeated measures were employed to determine whether significant interactions occurred between the treatment and control groups on pretest and posttest measures. Results of i V the Two-Way Analysis of Variance Tests indicated that a significant interaction (p < .05) occurred between the experimental group and the control group on the Novaco Anger Scale. The group mean scores for the treatment group across pretest and posttest measures decreased substantially while the control group mean scores remained relatively consistent. No significant interactions were found between the treatment and control groups across pretest and posttest frequency and intensity scores on the Anger Experience Checklist. Sufficient data was obtained, however, to suggest that the Anger Experience Checklist in its current form is not useful for assessing the frequencies and intensities of anger of inmates. From the results obtained, the following conclusions were made: 1. Rational Behavior Therapy was effective in reducing the intensities of self-reported anger of inmates, as measured by the Novaco Anger Scale. 2. There were no significant differences in the effectiveness of Rational Behavior Therapy in reducing the frequencies of self-reported anger of inmates, as measured by the Anger Experience Checklist. 3. There were no significant differences in the effectiveness of Rational Behavior Therapy in reducing the intensities of self-reported anger of inmates, as measured by the Anger Experience Checklist. V 4. The Anger Experience Checklist self-observation procedure is not a useful method for assessing the frequencies and intensities of self-reported anger of inmates.

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