Venting Anger Does Not Help, Ohio State University Study Finds

Letting off steam when you are angry may appear logical. Popular belief holds that voicing anger helps to dispel it, much like steam escaping from a pressure cooker.

However, a 2024 meta-analytic review suggests this familiar comparison is flawed. Ohio State University researchers assessed 154 studies of anger and found scant proof that venting is beneficial. In certain circumstances, it may actually intensify anger.

"I think it's really important to bust the myth that if you're angry you should blow off steam – get it off your chest," said senior author and communication scientist Brad Bushman when the results were published last year.

"Venting anger might sound like a good idea, but there's not a shred of scientific evidence to support catharsis theory."

Why venting anger can make feelings worse

This is not to say anger should be dismissed. Thinking about it can help people identify what has made them angry and tackle the issues beneath it. Such reflection can also support emotional validation, which is an important initial stage in processing emotions in a healthy way.

Venting, by contrast, frequently moves past reflection and into rumination. The research indicates that people often attempt to drive out anger through physical exertion too. Although exercise can benefit health, it may not improve someone's mood at the time.

The reviewed studies involved 10,189 participants in total, spanning different ages, genders, cultures and ethnicities. According to the authors, reducing physiological arousal is central to easing anger, whether that arousal stems from the anger itself or from otherwise beneficial exercise prompted by it.

"To reduce anger, it is better to engage in activities that decrease arousal levels," Bushman said. "Despite what popular wisdom may suggest, even going for a run is not an effective strategy because it increases arousal levels and ends up being counterproductive."

The study was partly prompted by the growing popularity of ‘rage rooms’, said lead author Sophie Kjærvik, a communication scientist at Virginia Commonwealth University. In these venues, people pay to break objects in the hope of releasing their anger.

"I wanted to debunk the whole theory of expressing anger as a way of coping with it," explained Kjærvik. "We wanted to show that reducing arousal, and actually the physiological aspect of it, is really important."

The physiological side of anger

The researchers structured their review around the Schachter-Singer two-factor theory. This model presents anger, along with every other emotion, as having two elements: a physiological component and a cognitive component.

Earlier studies have tended to concentrate on the cognitive element, Kjærvik and Bushman noted. For example, they have explored how cognitive behavioural therapy can help people change the mental interpretations underlying their anger.

They said evidence shows this approach can be effective, but their review also highlights another route for defusing rage. In addition, conventional cognitive behavioural therapies do not work for every type of brain.

Their analysis covered activities that both raise and lower arousal, including boxing, cycling and jogging, as well as deep breathing, meditation and yoga.

Calming techniques for reducing anger

The researchers found that soothing activities decreased anger both in laboratory settings and in everyday environments. This result held across other factors, including teaching methods and participant demographics. Activities that successfully reduced arousal included slow-flow yoga, mindfulness, progressive muscle relaxation, diaphragmatic breathing and taking a timeout.

"It was really interesting to see that progressive muscle relaxation and just relaxation in general might be as effective as approaches such as mindfulness and meditation," Kjærvik said.

"And yoga, which can be more arousing than meditation and mindfulness, is still a way of calming and focusing on your breath that has the similar effect in reducing anger."

Instead of seeking to vent anger, the researchers advise weakening it by lowering the temperature. Calming methods already shown to reduce stress could also deprive anger of its physiological fuel.

"Obviously in today's society, we're all dealing with a lot of stress, and we need ways of coping with that, too," Kjærvik said. "Showing that the same strategies that work for stress actually also work for anger is beneficial."

Most activities that increase arousal did not lessen anger, the review found, and some made it worse. Jogging was the activity most likely to increase anger.

Ball games and other playful forms of physical activity appeared to lower physiological arousal. This suggests exertion may be more helpful for easing anger when it is enjoyable.

"Certain physical activities that increase arousal may be good for your heart, but they're definitely not the best way to reduce anger," said Bushman. "It's really a battle because angry people want to vent, but our research shows that any good feeling we get from venting actually reinforces aggression."

Further research is required to clarify these results. For the moment, though, the researchers say calming practices - including simply taking a timeout or counting to 10 - are the most promising ways to control a temper.

"You don't need to necessarily book an appointment with a cognitive behavioral therapist to deal with anger. You can download an app for free on your phone, or you can find a YouTube video if you need guidance," Kjærvik said.

The study appeared in Clinical Psychology Review.

An earlier version of this article was published in April 2024.