The importance of the study of the emotions in relation to human conduct
is well understood. Just how consciousness behaves under the influence
of the fundamental human emotions like fear and anger, is one of vital
interest to the psychologist and educator. It has always been difficult
to study the structural side of our emotions because of an inability to
control voluntarily our emotions for purposes of introspection. The
structure of emotions is primarily important in so far as structure may
allow an interpretation of function. The study of the emotions has for
the most part been limited to theoretical discussions based on the
observations of normal and abnormal persons and on the casual
introspection of individual authors. This work is an attempt to study
systematically the emotion of anger in relation to the behavior of
consciousness, the ideas and feelings associated in the development of
anger, the reactive side of consciousness under the influence of anger,
individual differences in behavior, manner of the disappearance and
diminution of anger, devices used in the control and facilitation of the
emotion, and the conscious after-effects including the inter-relation of
anger and other feelings, emotions and attitudes which follow. The
education of the emotions was first voiced by Aristotle who indicated
that one of the aims of education should be to teach men to be angry
aright.
The author is under great obligations to President G. Stanley Hall, for
without his inspiration the investigation would never have been begun or
completed. A number of persons cooperated in the study both by criticism
and observation of emotional experiences. The study would not have been
possible without the kindly co-operation of the following: Professor and
Mrs. G. E. Freeland, Mr. A. E. Hamilton, Dr. G. E. Jones, Dr. George
Bivin, Dr. Frank E. Howard, Dr. W. T. Sangor, Dr. K. K. Robinson, Mr. D.
I. Pope, Mrs. R. F. Richardson, Dr. E. O. Finkenbinder, Dr. Raymond
Bellamy.