The effects of pro-social physical expressions of anger and aggression on psychophysiological wellbeing

Abstract

The benefits of participating in sports are well documented. Recent times have seen an increase in the participation in contact sports and the seemingly accepted forms of anger and aggression. Examples of these sports are kickboxing and rugby. Anger and aggression, however, have a negative impact on wellbeing, and have been associated with various psychological disorders. This poses the question: what are the effects of accepted anger and aggression in sport on the wellbeing of the individual? The specific aim of the present study is to explore the effects of the pro-social physical expression of anger and aggression on psychophysiological wellbeing. This is accomplished by measuring and comparing the psychological and physiological wellbeing of males participating in kickboxing (n=18), males participating in rugby (n=23) and males not participating in either (n=50). The participants,all of them South Africans, were drawn from a kickboxing club in Pretoria; a rugby academy in KwaZulu- Natal; and the University in Pretoria. Psychological wellbeing was measured by using the State-Trait Personality Inventory (Form Y) (STPI-Y), which provides information about state anxiety, trait anxiety, state curiosity, trait curiosity, state anger, trait anger, state depression, and trait depression. The presence, or absence, of these constructs was considered and evaluated to provide an indication of psychological wellbeing. Physiological wellbeing was measured by the Viport, a novel device that provides insight into the current stress load on the heart via the cardiac stress index. Blood pressure was also utilised as a measure for physiological wellbeing. These results were statistically analysed to determine the relationships between anger, aggression and psychophysiological wellbeing, and to differentiate between the results obtained from the groups. The investigation revealed multiple and significant relationships, both positive and negative, between anger,aggression and psychophysiological wellbeing for both the kickboxing and rugby groups. Almost all measures of psychological wellbeing revealed significant relationships for the group not participating in kickboxing or rugby; however, no significant relationships were found for measures of physiological wellbeing. For the kickboxing group, a positive relationship was found between anger, aggression, and heart rate. The rugby group obtained an inverse relationship between anger, aggression, and heart rate variability. A relatively strong positive relationship between anger, aggression, and trait anxiety exists in all three groups, with an overall negative relationship between anger, aggression, and curiosity. The three groups were compared to identify differences regarding psychological and physiological wellbeing. Significant differences were observed between the three groups regarding some forms of psychological and physiological wellbeing.The results indicated that the pro-social physical expression of anger and aggression does have an effect on psychophysiological wellbeing, but that these effects do vary. Further research on the topic is recommended to gain a better understanding of the exact effects that expressing anger and aggression in a pro-social physical manner have on psychophysiological wellbeing.