TY  - JOUR
A1  - Krahe, Barbara
A1  - Lutz, Johannes
A1  - Sylla, Isabel
T1  - Lean back and relax
BT  - Reclined seating position buffers the effect of frustration on anger and aggression
JF  - European journal of social psychology
N2  - Frustration is a powerful instigator of anger-based aggression. We hypothesized that the impact of a frustration on anger and aggressive behavior is reduced in a state of feeling relaxed, which is considered incompatible with the experience of anger. Seventy-nine participants received frustrating feedback either when sitting upright or sitting in a reclined position and were then given a chance to act aggressively toward the frustrator. Feelings of anger and relaxation were assessed before and after the frustration. Participants in the reclined position felt more relaxed than those sitting upright, which indirectly predicted less aggressive behavior via lower anger. The results are consistent with theories of incompatible states and embodiment and have implications for using body-related cues to mitigate anger-based aggression.
KW  - frustration
KW  - aggression
KW  - anger
KW  - incompatible states
KW  - seating
KW  - embodiment
Y1  - 2018
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.2363
SN  - 0046-2772
SN  - 1099-0992
VL  - 48
IS  - 5
SP  - 718
EP  - 723
PB  - Wiley
CY  - Hoboken
ER  -