INTRODUCTION

In the light of the literature on health psychology individuals are active processors of information and not passive reactors: plenty negative events do go on every day, but your feelings about them are still created by the interpretations you place on them [1].

There are a number of different kind of anger that have been described in the psychological literature. One kind is anger directed inward, which typically means anger that is not expressed overtly. Another kind of anger is outward, which can lead to rage. There is also anger that is associated with some kind of sadness. A kind of anger can be transformed into impulse to remove an obstacle Anger, as well provide the constructive motivation of persistence to solve the math problem rather that abandon [2].

When a person reports that he or she is angry but doesn't express it, research has found that the person shows the pattern of right-sided activation in the frontal lobe that is also associated with negative emotions; the person also shows activation of the amygdale [2]. Anger is characterized by muscle tension, increased heart rate and blood pressure, and defensive or attack. Anger profile: thoughts, physical reactions, behaviors (defend or resist, atack and argue, withdraw), moods ( irritable, angry, enraged) [3]. In many cases you anger is created by subtle cognitive distortions. In the light of the subject literature emotional reaction is determined entirely by the way you are thinking about the situation – it is on negative events but perception and thoughts about these event that create emotional response [4]. The presented research was aiming at finding an answer to the question: how students in Poland and students in Sweden deal with anger?

MATERIAL AND METHOD

The research sample group consisted of the 37 students in Poland (19.48±2.58 age); SD=2.58) and 30 students in Sweden (19.13±2.30 age). All the participating students were informed about the aim of the research. Questionnaires of an accepted psychometric value were applied in the research (Anger Scale, Emotional Control Scale) [5]. Additionally, the data were gathered with the use of self-elaborated questionnaire including open and close questions. The presented questionnaires are of a voluntary and anonymous character, The obtained results were analysed statistically [6]. The level of p<0.05 was considered significant.

RESULTS

The obtained results were presented in tables 1 and figure 1. In the Table 1 you can see average results with its standard deviation for measured variables: anger turned outward and turned inward. Data concerning expression of experienced anger i.e. targeting anger – to inside (anger turned inward) and outside (anger turned outward) - suppressing, extinguishing and revealing anger were obtained. Anger turned outward (average) in the students in Poland equaled 26.83 and in the group of student in Sweden equaled 23.95 (table 1).

DISCUSSION

The aim of the present study was to investigate the selected methods of copying with anger at students in Poland and Sweden. The findings showing the higher level of anger turned inward (then outside, anger turned outward) the students of both these countries, but its not enough data to draw conclusions. The diagram 1 represents the result of analysis anger turned inward. In the light of the obtained data, the factor referred to as anger turned inward not differentiates the examined student’s group. The current study present that there are no significant differences between anger turned inward (p=0.29). On the other hand, the result obtained from the statistical analysis revealed that students of both countries expressed a need to change the level of their frustration and negative emotions like angry. For students in Poland and students in Sweden it is more important to feel good.

Anger is linked to perception of damage or hurt and to a belief that important rules have been violated [4]. Burns reported that we may respond to imagined negative reaction by withdrawal or counterattack [1]. Different psychological reaction and coping strategy with anger bring about different effects [7-8]. David Burns seems to suggest that so the real question is not should I or should I not feel anger? but rather where will I draw the line? Is my anger direct toward someone who has knowingly and unnecessarily acted in a hurtful manner? Is rather useful ( adaptive and self-enhancing) and does it help me achieve desired goal or does it defeat me (maladaptive, unless and self-destructive) ? [1]. The pattern of frequent anger goes along with a belief that it is possible to protect ourselves by confronting abuse. What about people who have been abused but feel helpless to protect themselves? For these people the challenge may be to learn to experience anger when someone is harming them, rather than learning to control anger. Notice that the emotion of anger can range from irritation to range. How angry we become in given situation is influenced by interpretation of the meaning of the event [4]. Only little useful research has been conducted on the relationship between psychological factors and - anger turned inward or anger turned outward [1].

The research provided material for an interesting observation however, we have not enough data to draw conclusions. Effective dealing with negative difficult emotions like irritation, anger and frustration has an adaptive meaning [1,4,8].

Being angry isn’t a very big problem but it’s how people deal with it. Because anger can be powerful, managing it is a challenging. Learning how to cope with negative emotions is the key. Anger can be a problem,therefore, either because it is to frequent or because its absent [1].