Nonnormative Sources of Anger and Aggression

Abstract

In considering the legal treatment of crimes of passion we focused primarily on the criteria for attributing anger to a defendant and on the often complementary relationship between anger and the law. We should not lose sight of the fact, however, that crimes of passion are still crimes, and hence they cannot be completely explained in terms of social norms or rules. The same is true of the many “misdemeanors” of everyday life. On occasion, we all become angry when we shouldn’t. Perhaps the car won’t start, and we swear and kick the tire. Or perhaps the children are playing loudly, and we angrily snap at them. How can we account for such episodes? An appeal to social norms is of only limited help, for the behavior in question exceeds accepted standards. We must therefore look to nonnormative factors for an explanation. Similar considerations apply even when anger is legitimate. All behavior is overdetermined. The person who does not feel well, for example, may be more sensitive to provocation than the person who is in good health. Drugs such as alcohol may also lower the threshold for anger, as may a wide variety of environmental factors (e.g., noise, heat, and crowded conditions).