Anger: 3 Stage Process

Anger is a process that unfolds in stages. It is a phenomenon that is influenced by many factors simultaneously. Beyond the triggering event, anger is significantly determined by personality characteristics, temperament, life history, and personal beliefs. Recognizing anger as a 3 stage process provides an actionable framework against which anger can be utilized, controlled, and prevented.

The 1st stage of the anger process is the Trigger Event. This is the "something happened and I got mad" stage. This event can internal, such as a thought, or external, such a particular situation that you experience.

The 2nd stage of the anger process is Interpretive. It is controlled by how you think about the event that triggered your anger. This kind of processing can unfold in seconds. Interpretation or appraisal of events is facilitated by the fact that as an adult, you have already internalized a network of beliefs and rules of behavior that direct how you respond to situations (ex disrespectful behavior from others is unacceptable).

The 3rd and final stage of the anger process is Behavioral. How you act based on your anger ex- slamming a door or swallowing your anger. This behavior-response stage of anger affords many opportunities for either resolving or exacerbating a difficult situation.

One very important reason that people become angry is to protect themselves from feeling vulnerable. Anger is an active, attack-oriented emotion. As a result, people often experience anger as a secondary emotion within the context of primary emotions of hurt or fear. The next time you get angry, ask yourself what it is about what happened that upset you. If you recognize that you are experiencing another emotion alongside anger, that other emotion is likely to be your primary emotion.