Anger Rumination Vs. Revenge Planning: Divergent Associations with Aggression and Life Satisfaction

Rumination about anger experiences prolongs anger arousal and increases the likelihood of aggression. School violence perpetrators have ruminated angrily. Research measures and personal accounts of anger rumination often contain revenge-planning as a subtheme, the relevance of which has received insufficient attention in accounting for aggressive behavior. This study differentially examines anger rumination with and without revenge-thinking, testing for their differential effects in association with aggression and life satisfaction. In a sample of 340 undergraduates, anger rumination (without revenge-thinking) was not significantly associated with self-reported physical or verbal aggression, while revenge-thinking was, controlling for gender and anger disposition. However, anger rumination, but not revenge-thinking, was associated with poorer life satisfaction. Relevant extensions for violence risk assessment, anger treatment, and future research concerning anger rumination are discussed.