Personal and situational determinants of anger manifestations in student youth
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33910/1992-6464-2026-220-271-281Keywords:
direction of anger, intropunitive anger, extrapunitive anger, student youth, dispositional personality traits, life satisfaction, stressful eventsAbstract
Introduction. This study addresses anger as a prevalent emotion, focusing on its manifestations within the student population — a group navigating intense identity formation and emotional regulation during early adulthood. The research aimed to analyze the specific effects of dispositional personality traits, life satisfaction, and situational stressors on the direction of anger expression, namely intropunitive (inward) and extrapunitive (outward).
Materials and Methods. The study involved 148 students aged 16 to 21 years (M = 17.44, SD = 1.66) from secondary vocational and higher education institutions. Data were collected using a battery of psychometric tools: the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory, the Life Satisfaction Questionnaire, the Short Form of the Big Five Inventory-2, and a bespoke questionnaire for stressor assessment. Statistical analysis was performed using descriptive statistics and regression analysis in the JASP software.
Results. The most frequently reported stressors included failed courses, illness/injury, and change of residence. Intrapersonal issues and interpersonal conflicts were also highly prevalent. Regression analysis identified that high neuroticism and low agreeableness, conscientiousness, and extraversion are universal personality predictors for both directions of anger. Situational factors, however, differentially predicted the direction of anger: intropunitive anger was significantly predicted by the death of a loved one and a reduction in meetings with a romantic partner, whereas extrapunitive anger was associated with marriage and problems with the law. Low life satisfaction was a significant predictor only for intropunitive anger, at the level of a statistical trend.
Conclusions. The findings confirm that personality traits establish a general propensity for anger, while situational factors determine its specific direction: intropunitive reactions correlate with the death of loved ones and personal loss, while extrapunitive reactions are linked to changes in social status and conflicts with social norms. These findings may inform targeted psychological interventions, suggesting that addressing intropunitive anger should focus on rumination and guilt, while managing extrapunitive anger should focus on developing conflict resolution skills and social adaptation. Future research may explore the cognitive and coping mechanisms mediating these relationships.
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