A meta-analytic study of predictors of anger in adolescents.

BACKGROUND

There is a vast body of empirical work on adolescent anger, but no efforts have been made to summarize findings across nonintervention studies.

OBJECTIVES

The aims of this study were to identify predictors for anger in adolescents through a comprehensive review of the literature, to use quantitative meta-analysis to determine the magnitude of the relationship between each predictor and anger, and to examine the influence of selected moderators on the relationship between each predictor and anger.

METHOD

The literature review included 288 published studies and 87 unpublished doctoral dissertation completed between 1980 and 2007, of which 88 met the inclusion criteria. Twelve prominent predictors for anger were identified in the 88 studies. Each predictor related to anger was subjected to a meta-analysis.

RESULTS

Five predictors (trait anger, anxiety, depression, stress, and exposure to violence) had moderate to substantial average effect sizes, four predictors (victim of violence, hostility, self-esteem, and social support) had low to moderate effect sizes, and three predictors (age, race/ethnicity, and gender) had trivial effect sizes.

DISCUSSION

The findings are interpreted for nine predictors in relation to anger. The contributions and limitations of these meta-analyses are addressed, and future studies are recommended.