Anger and the behavioral approach system

Two studies were conducted to test the hypothesis that trait anger is related to trait behavioral approach sensitivity (BAS). In both studies, trait BAS, as assessed by [Carver and White, 1994] scale, was positively related to trait anger, as assessed by the [Buss and Perry, 1992] aggression questionnaire. One of the two studies found that trait anger also related to trait behavioral inhibition sensitivity (BIS) at the simple correlation level. In both studies, statistically controlling for general negative affect, which correlates with both anger and BIS, revealed that BAS and not BIS related to anger. In these regression analyses, general negative affect also related to anger, suggesting that BAS and general negative affect independently contribute to anger. Additional results in Study 2 revealed that BAS was positively correlated with physical aggression, and regressing aggression onto BAS, BIS, and general negative affect revealed that physical aggression was positively related to BAS, negatively related to BIS, and positively related to negative affect. Together with other research on anger and left frontal cortical activity (e.g. [Harmon-Jones and Sigelman, 2001]), the present results strongly challenge theoretical models that assume that approach motivation is associated only with positive affect.