Unit 1: Social Skills

Lesson 2: Anger Management

Topic 4: Coping Skills – self-talk

*Note: Anger that leads to physical violence is serious and needs appropriate intervention. An individual who exhibits behaviors that can lead to harm of another or property damage needs psychological services from a professional trained in anger management. This lesson can be used for those individuals whose anger management issues cause them problems (i.e., loss of job) but do not cause significant harm to themselves or those around them.

OBJECTIVE

1. Complete the steps to self-instruction training during role-plays.

MATERIALS NEEDED
Role-play scenarios for Anger Management

Steps for Anger Control – by RW Novaco

marker board or something to write on

video-tape recorder (optional)

INSTRUCTIONAL FORMAT
This topic will use all four of the common teaching methods: instruction, modeling, role-play, and feedback. Trainers will need to teach about how our thoughts can influence our feelings and behavior. For example, if someone bumps into us and we tell ourselves that he did this on purpose, we are more likely to get upset. However, if we tell ourselves that it was an accident, we are less likely to get upset. If we give ourselves good instructions during the provoking situation, we will be more likely to respond appropriately. It is helpful to video-tape role-plays. If you have the equipment, it is highly recommended.

1. Discuss with students the rationale for the topic. Provide information about how our thoughts can influence our emotions. Just as other people can make us feel angry by what they say, we can get ourselves upset by what we say to ourselves. Provide the following examples:
   
   

   • Our boss yells at us. If we think that he is out to get us, we will get angry. If we think that he is just having a bad day, we may not get angry or at least as angry.
     
     

   • Our co-worker spills something on some copies we just made. If we think she is out to get us fired or into trouble, we will get angry. If we tell ourselves it was just an accident, we are less likely to get angry.
     
     

   • Our spouse comes home late. If we think he/she is cheating on us, we are going to get angry. Or, if we think he/she has been in an accident, we may feel worried. If we think he/she is just running late and we will ask him/her were she has been, we are less likely to feel bad.
     
     

   • Our child is acting up in the store. If we think he is doing it on purpose and all of the people in the store are angry with us, we may get upset. If we think that there is something wrong with the child and most people probably don't care, we are less likely to get upset.
     
     

   • A co-worker brings us a card for our birthday. If we think he really likes us and wants to go out with us, we may have feelings of attraction and a desire to date. If we think that he is just being kind, we will have feelings of friendship, but may not have romantic feelings. (It works for positive feelings too)
     
     

2. Pick a role-play from the role-play scenarios for "Anger Management." Pick a volunteer to role-play the scenario. The instructor will play the person who is trying to keep from getting angry first. The role-play has examples of appropriate coping statements to use. Read through the "Steps for Anger Control" for further information. The instructor should make the self statements out loud. Depending on the cognitive level of the students, the instructor will have to modify the complexity of the statements.
   
   

3. Pick another role-play and have a student practice the coping skills to control anger. The student should do deep breathing while the instructor says the self-statements for the student.
   
   

4. Using the same role-play, have the student practice deep breathing while he/she makes the statements out loud.
   
   

5. Using the same role-play, have the student practice deep breathing while he/she whispers the statements.
   
   

6. Using the same role-play, have the student practice deep breathing while he/she thinks the statements.
   

SIGNS OF GENERALIZATION
Students are appropriately handling situations that used to cause them problems. Observations of their self-instructions will be obviously difficult. If a person is improving, you will have to assume that he or she is using some of the skills taught during this topic.

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