Combining Mindfulness and Implementation-Intentions to Control Experimentally-Induced Anger

Abstract

Mindfulness is a technique that is being developed to promote positive wellbeing and reduce anger and aggression across a range of client groups. There is a paucity of literature considering the direct impact of mindfulness on anger, however there is a small body of research considering how mindfulness can influence the behaviour of people with learning disabilities, including reducing outward expressions of anger such as aggression, self harm and property damage. This literature is reviewed to consider the scientific robustness of mindfulness as a technique to influence behaviour. The review outlines the generalisability, replicability, validity and reliability of measures, methodological design and the clinical and academic impact of the findings. A number of strengths and limitations were identified and outlined, with suggestions for future research. This study begins to address the gap in the literature around using mindfulness to manage anger. The research considers whether mindfulness can be integrated into an implementation intention (or “if-then” plan) to reduce experimentally-induced anger in 96 students and staff members at the University of Sheffield. The results showed that although the anger induction was effective in terms of increasing self-reported anger, it was not powerful enough to influence the physiological and implicit anger measures taken. In addition, participants exposed to the mindful implementation intention were not significantly less angry than participants in the other anger conditions. The limitations of this study are outlined and recommendations for future research using mindful implementation intentions are made.