2021 Volume 36 Issue 3 Pages 76-87
This study examined the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and anger expression in public situations. Specific studies have indicated that people with low SES tend to be aggressive. However, Park et al.(2013) demonstrated that in Japan, where there are strong norms favoring the control of emotional expression, people with high SES tend to express their anger. In this study, we assumed that psychological entitlement would engage their anger expression. We then hypothesized that psychological entitlement mediates relationships between SES and anger expression in public situations because highly entitled people might justify their anger and its expression. The results of Study 1 (n＝599) supported this hypothesis. Furthermore, the results of Study 2 (n＝598) indicated that people with high SES tended to evaluate their anger expression as justifiable due to high psychological entitlement, even though their opponents were blamless. We discussed the possibility that anger expression is promoted not only by a lack of self-control but also by justification for the anger.
