The Negative Emotion in Juvenile Delinquents II

Abstract

In my former article (1975), I considered sub areas of the emotion of “anger”, and it was then found that “anger” can be sub-divided into 20 areas.

In this article, I attempted to analyze the structure of “anger”. One hundred and fifty-four items were picked up from my former article. 28 N-items, 21 A-items and 105 del-items. N-item relates to those situations in which less than 25% of the subjects think they would be provoked. A-item relates to those situations in which over 75% of the subjects think they would be provoked. Del-item relates to those situations about which the answers of the delinquent group are different from those of the control group, and in which anger is more easily provoked in delinqents than in controls. Those differences between delinquents and controls were statistically significant. As in the former article, in regard to each item on the questionaire, 100 male students and 90 female students were asked to put a circle if they think they would feel angry in that specific situation, and if not, X. The above data were factor-analyzed and 7 factors were extracted.

Factor 1. Simple anger which is aroused in relation with other peop1e.

Factor 2. Indefinable frustration.

Factor 3. Immature judgment based on childish moral sense.

Factor 4. Inertia and sense of alienation.

Factor 5. Grievances against the family circumstances and feeling of despaire at the contradiction of society.

Factor 6. A sort of anger which, though hardly provoked in ordinary people, is provoked in delinquents if provoked at all.

Factor 7. Sense of injury done to himself which cannot be understood by other people.