Anger could help you tackle tough tasks, new study

angry silhouette illustration, with storm cloud over brain — The study found that angry people were more likely to achieve difficult goals

(Image credit: Malte Mueller / Getty Images)

Anger may be the trick for finding motivation to complete challenging tasks or reach a goal, according to a recent study published by the American Psychological Association in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. The findings suggest that "angry people "perform better on a set of challenging tasks than those who are emotionally neutral," The Guardian summarized.

Even though people are more likely to "use positive emotions as tools more than negative and tend to see negative emotions as undesirable and maladaptive,” Dr. Heather Lench, the study's first author, noted that existing research suggests "a mix of emotions, including negative emotions like anger, result in the best outcomes.”

Researchers at Texas A&M University conducted several experiments involving over 1,000 people. They analyzed survey data from over 1,400 to test that theory about anger's impact on someone's drive. The experiments included completing challenging puzzles and avoiding obstacles in a skiing video game. In each experiment, the researchers elicited a particular emotion from the participants before they took on the task. They also analyzed poll data from the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections to consider how anger influenced voting behavior. The group found that "anger increases effort toward attaining a desired goal, frequently resulting in greater success,” Lench concluded.

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In all the experiments, researchers found that anger improved the subject's chances of reaching challenging goals compared to a neutral emotional condition. However, when the goal was easier, anger did not improve the outcome, CBS News reported. For some experiments, "amusement or desire were also associated with increased goal attainment," the outlet added, "but anger was associated with increased success across the board."

Theara Coleman has worked as a staff writer at The Week since September 2022. She frequently writes about technology, education, literature and general news. She was previously a contributing writer and assistant editor at Honeysuckle Magazine, where she covered racial politics and cannabis industry news.