Ireland (2004) unnamed study

• aim?

  assess effectiveness of anger management
• sample?

  quasi experiment, experiment group: 50 young male prisoners completing anger management course (compared pre and post scores for treatment) control group: 37 prisoners assessed as suitable for course but hadn't completed one yet. 2 groups were matched in terms of age, offence and level of angry behaviours reported prior to completing course (control participant variables!)
• procedure?

  groups assessed on 2 measures 2 weeks before start of course/ 8 weeks later

  • prison officers behavioural checklist, checklist completed by prison officers concerning 29 different angry behaviours with scores of 0-2 how often it was done in the previous week
  • anger management assessing questionnaire, self report consisting of 53 items which could indicate anger issues.

  experimental group given 12 1 hour sessions over 3 day period (aware of process of how they become angry, informed of benefits of controlling anger, improved techniques of managing anger ect)
• results?

  • prison officers checklist= significant reduction in angry behaviours in experimental group, no difference in control group
  • anger management questionnaire= experimental group scored significantly lower on self reported angry behaviour after completion of course. no difference in control group

  92% prisoners in experimental group showed improvement on at least 1 measure, 42% on 2 measures and 8% showed deterioration on both measures upon completing course (not for everyone, not just a cognitive process!)
• conclusion?

  in the short term, anger management programmes can be considered a success and significantly reduces angry behaviour in prisoners. however, no later re-conviction data was seen so we cannot know if programmes effects were sustained after leaving prison and applications cannot be established.
• how was Ireland a quasi experiment?

  you cannot randomly assign participants to an environment, you either have schizophrenia or you don't