JOURNAL ARTICLE

Anger and Self-Control: How the Need to Dominate Can Lead to Better Choices.

  • Published In: Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, 2025, v. 44, n. 2. P. 242 1 of 3

  • Database: Business Source Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Koley, Shruti; Warren, Caleb 3 of 3

Abstract

The article investigates how anger influences consumer self-control, revealing that anger activates a need for dominance, which can motivate better self-control when virtuous choices are framed as conferring dominance-related benefits. Across five experiments in domains such as studying, healthy eating, exercising, and saving money, angry consumers showed increased self-control when the benefits of virtuous options emphasized strength, power, or influence rather than unrelated benefits like security or health. This effect was specific to anger (not anxiety) and occurred only when dominance benefits were expected in the near future rather than the distant future. The findings suggest that policy makers can enhance self-control among angry consumers by tailoring messages to highlight dominance-related outcomes and emphasizing short-term benefits.

Additional Information

  • Source:Journal of Public Policy & Marketing. 2025/04, Vol. 44, Issue 2, p242
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:Health and Medicine
  • Publication Date:2025
  • ISSN:0743-9156
  • DOI:10.1177/07439156241265076
  • Accession Number:183576448
  • Copyright Statement:Copyright of Journal of Public Policy & Marketing is the property of American Marketing Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

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