Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate whether anger expression style mediated the relationship between secondary anger-thoughts and negative consequences of anger, which were interpersonal problems and somatic symptoms. Secondary anger-thoughts are one of the major cognitive factors that reflect coping behaviors and patterns in anger situations, which are composed of 3 factors: derogation of others/revenge, helplessness, and anger-control/constructive coping. Three hundred and nine undergraduates completed the Secondary Anger-thought Scale, State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory-Korean version, Inventory of Interpersonal Problems-Circumplex, Symptom Checklist-90-Revised, and Beck Depression Inventory-Korean version. Multiple regression analyses demonstrated that anger-out partially mediated the relationship between derogation of others/revenge thoughts and 'autocratic' interpersonal problems. The relationship between helplessness thoughts and 'exploitable' interpersonal problems was fully mediated by anger-in. Anger-in partially mediated the relationship between helplessness thoughts and 'cold', 'socially avoidant', and 'nonassertive' interpersonal problems. There were no mediating effect of anger-in between helplessness thoughts and somatic symptoms. Additional hierarchical regression analysis, however, revealed that when helplessness thoughts were added to the prior model in which trait anger and anger-in predicted somatic symptoms, the explained variation of somatic symptoms significantly increased. In the final section, implications and limitations of this study were discussed.