Michael Potegal, Gerhard Stemmler, and Charles Spielberger: International Handbook of Anger: Constituent and Concomitant Biological, Psychological, and Social Processes

Excerpt

The day this book arrived in the mail, I attended a hockey game my son was playing, an aggressive sport to be sure, that sometimes extends beyond the ice rink. I watched in amazement as a spectator for the opposing team screamed obscenities at the referees while shaking his fist and thumping his feet loudly against the floorboards of the viewing stands. Everyone in attendance knew that this man was “angry.” But, why? Was he upset about a penalty that had been called? Did he think the referees favored my son’s team? And if angry, why did he react with such emotion and, I emphasize, an intimidating presence to those around him? Wearing my clinical psychologist hat, I also had another question: If he showed anger this way in a public forum, what must he do with family and friends behind closed doors? Reading the International Handbook of Anger would have helped me answer these questions and, as well, expand my clinical and research knowledge. …