The five parameters of anger: A configural analysis

A current goal in anger research is the acknowledgment of anger subtypes so as to provide tailored therapy for maladaptive anger. This exploratory study aimed to differentiate the anger experience with the measurement of five fundamental components of affect: frequency, duration, intensity, latency, and threshold, this is the Anger Parameters Scale. Individuals were recruited from various San Antonio public libraries on a voluntary basis and were verbally administered the APS. In the present study, two experts reliably categorized 12 anger subtypes based on the wide array of anger profiles generated by configural analysis of the APS. Half of the sample portrayed "adaptive" anger whereas the remainder of the sample portrayed "maladaptive" anger profiles. Clinical utility of the APS was further demonstrated with the Intermittent Explosive Disorder anger attacks profile. Future research may look into the generalizability of the proposed anger subtypes to a clinical population.