DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE RESPONSES FOLLOWING DIRECT AND DISPLACED AGGRESSION AFTER ANGER AROUSAL IN HIGH- AND LOW-GUILT SUBJECTS

80 male undergraduates in angered groups, were allowed to aggress, either directly by shocking their frustrator, indirectly by shocking a nonfrustrator, or not at all. Ss who underwent the frustration sequence rated themselves as significantly more angry than controls, and their mean diastolic blood pressure was significantly elevated as a result of the experimental procedure. Among all Ss, low-guilt Ss exhibited a significantly greater mean diastolic decrease in the postaggression or control stage than high-guilt Ss. Shocking the frustrator resulted in a significant decrease of anger-elevated diastolic blood pressure. Shocking a nonfrustrator resulted in a nonsignificant diastolic decrease. However, within, this indirect aggression group, it was found that low-guilt Ss exhibited a significant diastolic decrease in the postaggression phase, while high-guilt Ss actually showed a slight diastolic increase. Results emphasize the importance of taking the guilt variable into consideration when investigating the catharsis hypothesis. (18 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved). © 1969 American Psychological Association.