ANGER: AN EVOLUTIONARY VIEW

An evolutionary interpretation of anger is developed with emphasis on its function in changing behavior in the recipient of anger. Intensity and duration of anger, as well as the recipient's responses, are viewed as critical variables to be explained. Mechanisms of behavioral change in the recipient are discussed. Alteration of the recipient's physiology is viewed as a critical step in the process of change. The analysis places equal emphasis on the person who is angry and the recipient, one implication of which is that both parties have limited behavioral options. A final section discusses possible effects of psychiatric disorders on the expression of anger and its functional effectiveness.