Aims: To describe gender differences in how older adults in the community experience and react to anger.
Methods: The "critical incident technique" was used in an internet survey completed by a nationally representative sample of 250 American Internet users ranging from 50 to 89 years of age. At the end of the survey, respondents were given the opportunity to volunteer for an in-depth interview on their experiences with anger. Thirty-two individuals aged 55 to 82 completed interviews.
Results: Older women were significantly less likely than men to identify as "an angry person" (p<.05). Women were more likely to criticize themselves after becoming angry (p<.05). Interviews highlighted a widespread tendency for women to ruminate on their anger experiences, a finding also observed by Simonson, et al. (2011).
On the other hand, women were considerably more likely to report coping with anger by telling someone how they felt (p<.01). Those who identified as activists, like members of the Raging Grannies, reported that "transformative anger" powered their efforts towards change.
Conclusion: Widespread cultural norms discourage women's expression of anger. Several authors have suggested that depression, which is more common among women, results from anger turned inward. Perhaps one strategy for those confronting depression among older women is to facilitate relationships of solidarity and purpose that target key sources of their anger.
References:
Jordan Simonson, Amy Mezulis, & Katey Davis (2011). Socialized to Ruminate? Gender Role Mediates the Sex Difference in Rumination for Interpersonal Events. Journal of Social & Cultural Psychology, 30(9), 937-959.