A Partial Component Analysis of Beck’s Cognitive Therapy for the Treatment of General Anger

Abstract

Eighty-six high-anger undergraduates were assigned to eight group sessions of Beck’s full cognitive therapy (FCT) focusing on both cognitive and behavioral change, cognitive restructuring only (CRO) focusing only on cognitive change, or a no-treatment control. Analyses suggested treatments were delivered in an equivalent, high-quality manner and that therapists adhered to treatment protocols. By 5-week follow-up, treatment groups, while not differing from each other, showed reductions in trait anger, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral components of anger, the individual’s greatest ongoing source of anger, and anger-related physiological arousal. Treatments lowered anger suppression and outward negative expression and enhanced controlled expression. Compared to controls, CRO also reduced trait anxiety and depression. Treatment effect sizes were medium (η2 = .06 to .13) to large (η2 > .13), and more treatment participants met a clinically reliable change index on trait anger. Findings support FCT and CRO for general anger reduction.