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Anger Can Spur Logical Thinking
> 6/12/2007 11:42:01 AM

Despite the reputation as being a catalyst for disorder, a new study suggests that anger can actually be a productive force. According to research conducted by psychologists Wesley Moons and Diane Mackie from the University of California at Santa Barbara, anger helps people make better choices and think more logically.

Moons and Mackie experiments were designed to test their theory by measuring how anger effected students� ability to dissect written arguments. They measured how anger influenced thinking in a group of college students who were asked to write about a past experience that conjured up angry thoughts. A second group of students, were tested but anger was not induced. Following the experiment, both groups were asked to read a compelling work and logically dissect the meaning of the argument presented in the work. Those students who were angry were better able to analyze and discriminate between the weak and stronger points. The group of students whose anger wasn't induced seemed equally accepting of both sides of the arguments presented.

The study, published in this month�s edition of the Personality and Psychology Bulletin, suggests that anger can aid people in making rational decisions. It also found that anger can help people, who by disposition aren�t analytical thinkers, think more clearly and logically.

So the next time you are about to fly off the handle, remember anger can sometimes be a good thing and since it should allow you to think clearer, you won�t need worry about doing anything you will later regret.

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