Anger arousal in child abuse counselling : an experimental evaluation of systematic desensitization and cognitive self-control training procedures

• Main Author: Davis, Gerald Albert.
• Format: Others
• Language: en
• Published: McGill University 1982
• Subjects: Interviewing in child abuse.; Anger.; Self-control.; Social work education.
• Online Access: http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=68633

The present study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of systematic desensitization and cognitive self-control training procedures in reducing anger arousal, overt hostility, and aggression; and their effectiveness in increasing constructive action in therapists conducting counselling interviews with child abusers. Thirty graduate social work students who indicated that they sometimes become at least mildly angry toward parents or caretakers who physically abuse children participated in the study. The students who volunteered for the study were randomly assigned to three treatment conditions in a pretest/posttest control group design. Anger was aroused experimentally in the subjects using laboratory provocations which consisted of six imaginal interviews with abusive and non-abusive parents. The imaginal interviews were conducted in a language laboratory using an automatically synchronized slide-tape program. The systematic desensitization and cognitive self-control treatments consisted of two one-hour training sessions administered within the same week. === The criterion measures employed in the experimental study included (a) Reaction Inventory (Evans & Stangeland, 1971), (b) Buss-Durkee Hostility Inventory (factor analytic version--Bendig, 1962), (c) Hostility Scale Applicable to Verbal Samples (Gottschalk, Winget, & Gleser, 1969), (d) Self-Report Rating of Anger Scale (Novaco, 1975), (e) Self-Report Rating of Aggression Scale (Novaco, 1975), and (f) Self-Report Rating of Constructive Action Scale (Novaco, 1975). === Analysis of covariance of the experimental data indicated no statistically significant treatment differences on any of the six dependent measures. Although statistical significance was not achieved, the pre-treatment and post-treatment means showed changes in the desired direction on the six dependent measures for the systematic desensitization treatment group. The cognitive self-control treatment group means showed changes in the desired direction on five of the dependent measures. === The empirical results were discussed with reference to theoretical concepts of anger arousal, and the research literature on experimental studies of training procedures relevant to anger control.