本研究では,怒りの対処スタイルとそれに関する信念を標的とした認知行動療法(CBT)が,大学生の怒りの変容に及ぼす効果を:調べた。その際に,個人差要因であるタイプの異なる怒りの対処スタイル(怒りを過度に表出あるいは抑制する)という要因が介入効果に相違をもたらすかどうかを比較,検討した。実験参加者は,怒りの特性が高く,かつ怒りの表出傾向が高い者(AO高者)と怒りの抑制傾向の高い者(AI高者)の計33名であった。AO高者とAI高者を,CBT群と統制群に振り分け,CBT群には,4週間にわたるCBTを実施した。、その結果,3ヵ月後のフォローアップ時では,CBT群の特性的な怒りの低減が確認できた。特に,AI高者のCBT群は,介入期間中における怒りの自己陳述の低減や介入前後での怒りの抑制に関するポジティブな信念が変容していた。他方,AO高者のCBT群の認知的側面の変容は,必ずしも,AI高者のCBT群と比較して目覚しいものではなかった。このことから,大学生の怒りを対象としたCBTを施す際に,一つの個人差要因として怒りの対処スタイルを積極的にとりあげることの意義が示唆された。

The purposes of the present study were to examine effects of cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) focused on the behavioral aspects of anger and beliefs about anger coping styles, on alleviating anger in Japanese university students with high Trait-Anger scores, and to examine the results in relation to individual differences in anger coping styles. Participants were 33 university students who scored at the mean or higher on a Trait-Anger Scale. They were divided into high Anger-Out (AO) and high Anger-In (AI) groups ; half of each of these groups was assigned to either a cognitive behavior therapy intervention or a control group. For 4 weeks, both of the groups receiving cognitive behavior therapy were given an intervention focused on the behavioral and cognitive aspects of anger. Trait-Anger decreased in both cognitive behavior therapy groups relative to the control groups. Additionally, the Anger-In cognitive behavior therapy participants had greater improvement in their anger self-statements during the training sessions, and more positive beliefs about anger suppression between the pre- and post-tests than did the Anger-In cognitive behavior therapy participants. These results were discussed in comparison to previous findings. The authors stress the importance of considering individual differences in anger coping style.