Anger looks and feels different for everyone. Have you ever wondered how angry you are compared to your peers? Or, have you ever wondered what type of anger you experience most?
The multidimensional anger test can offer all of the answers you’re looking for. Take our 15-question quiz below, and you’ll gain insight into your own personal experience with anger. Click “Start Quiz” to begin.
Questions Overview
- Definitely. I really struggle with my internal rage.
- Probably.
- I think I’m about average.
- Definitely not. I’m less angry than the average person.
- Yes. My temper has put a strain on so many relationships.
- 1 or 2 people have, but it’s rare that my anger becomes an issue.
- No, they haven’t.
- No. People actually tell me that I need to stand up for myself more.
- All the time
- Often
- Rarely
- Never
- Strongly agree
- Agree
- Neutral
- Disagree
- Strongly agree
- Agree
- Neutral
- Disagree
- Strongly agree
- Agree
- Neutral
- Disagree
- Strongly agree
- Agree
- Neutral
- Disagree
- Strongly agree
- Agree
- Neutral
- Disagree
- Strongly agree
- Agree
- Neutral
- Disagree
- Strongly agree
- Agree
- Neutral
- Disagree
- Strongly agree
- Agree
- Neutral
- Disagree
- Strongly agree
- Agree
- Neutral
- Disagree
- Strongly agree
- Agree
- Neutral
- Disagree
More Quizzes
Multidimensional Anger Spectrum: Everything You Need to Know
Anger arousal: This refers to how quickly and strongly a person’s anger develops. Someone who scores high on “anger arousal” may be especially likely to transition from totally content to angry very quickly. You might think of these people as having a “short fuse”—and you might expect them to be reactive in conversation.
Anger spectrum: This refers to the number of things that make a person angry, not about the magnitude or speed of a person’s anger. So if someone scores highly on “anger spectrum,” you’d expect them to be triggered pretty often, by anything from a perceived slight, to traffic, to a spilled drink. This doesn’t mean that each time they get angry they’re reacting in a big way though, just that they tend to experience anger to some degree relatively often.
Hostile outlook: If someone scores high on “hostile outlook,” it means that generally speaking, they expect the worst in the world around them. As you can imagine, this could lead to an increase in angry feelings—if someone’s more likely to perceive a harmless comment as malicious, they’d also be more likely to feel angry as a result. Though it’s worth noting that a hostile outlook doesn’t always mean that a person experiences more anger. Technically, someone could have a hostile outlook without negative feelings to match.
External anger: This measures a person’s outward expression of anger. In short, this describes the likelihood that someone will release their angry feelings onto their surroundings. People who score high on external anger might be likely to yell at their friends or be passive-aggressive when they feel upset. As you’d expect, this can affect their ability to form healthy, positive connections with others.
Internal anger: Internal anger refers to a person’s tendency to keep their emotions on the inside, without making them known to the people around them. They may feel guilty about their angry feelings and fearful about expressing them outwardly. These people may also struggle with people-pleasing tendencies, like trouble setting boundaries.
Learning to Manage and Release Anger
- Take a beat before you speak. Anger can make all of us say and do things that we regret later on, but you can take steps to improve that over time. Here’s a golden rule to stick to: when you’re angry, don’t say the first thing that pops into your mind. Instead, force yourself to take a second to think, then share your thoughts after you’ve considered everything carefully.
- Release anger through exercise. Exercise is closely connected to reduced stress and anger, so if you’re looking to curb your temper, this is a great place to start. Experts suggest at least 150 minutes of aerobic exercise per week. Why not get started via your favorite active hobbies? Check out this list of ideas for inspiration:
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Walk away when you’re feeling angry. There’s no shame in taking time to yourself when you’re upset. In fact, timeouts are strongly linked to reduced anger and healthy reactions to angry feelings. So the next time you get into a fight with a friend or your partner does something upsetting, don’t react right away—instead, take some time alone, think things through, and return to the conversation when you’re feeling better.
- Use this script: “I hear you, I think I need a second to calm down and think. I’ll let you know as soon as I’m ready to talk.”
- Find ways to relax. Relaxation is a superpower in the fight against anger! Relaxation is known to chip away at angry tendencies and deep-seated feelings over time. In short, the more you can find ways to enjoy peaceful moments, the less power anger has to control you. Try some of these ways to relax:
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Focus on problem-solving, not your feelings. When you’re angry and caught up in the moment, it can feel tempting to harp on your feelings (I can not believe how mad I am. Why did they do that to me?). But in reality this gives them more power over you. Instead, if you shift into problem-solving mode, you might find that you have an easier time releasing your anger quickly. Here’s an example:
- "I’m so angry! My partner left the dishes in the sink..."
- What not to do: Continue to mull over your angry feelings, giving them power.
- What you can do: Ask yourself: how can I fix this problem in the long term? You might decide to talk to your partner and set new expectations, express how you’re feeling, and finally, ask them to clean the dishes themselves.
