Biobehavioral responses to interpersonal conflict during anger expression among anger-in and anger-out men

To examine whether typical modes of anger expression (i. e., anger-in, ange r-out) were related to cardiovascular, affective, behavioral, and cognitive responses to interpersonal conflict, 20 anger-in and 20 anger-out undergra duate men participated in 2 role plays, one in which they were instructed t o exhibit their anger overtly and the other in which they inhibited their a nger. Results showed that anger-in individuals used significantly more repr ession self-statements than anger-out individuals across both role play int eractions (p < .01). Anger-out persons showed exaggerated diastolic blood p ressure response in contrast to anger-in participants, but only during the exhibited anger role play (p <. 04). When the anger exhibition role play fo llowed anger inhibition, diastolic blood pressure responses were more inten se (p <. 05), and heart rate recovery was significantly slower (p <. 03) am ong anger-out participants in contrast to anger-in participants. These find ings indicate that modes of anger expression (trait) and contextual demands of the interaction (state) interact in complex ways to influence biobehavi oral reactions to anger provocation.