Environmental Instigators
Environmental characteristics can also help provide the basic arousal needed to move from that experience into anger. Noise, defined as unpleasant and unwanted sounds, affects our level of arousal and mood.
We are especially affected by loud noises (Graig, 1993). Tavris (1989) points out that loud sounds are arousing and increase the likelihood of anger. But the anger occurs when we are provoked; it is not caused by the noise itself. For example, you would not take personally the loud construction project across the street that wakes you early each and every morning. But you could easily take personally your roommate’s habit of slamming the door each time she comes home late, your stepson’s banging on the drums when he is grounded, or your supervisor’s slamming her hand down on the table to emphasize a point.Crowds constitute another arousing environmental factor. As with noise, crowds by themselves do not produce anger, but they increase our level of arousal and make it more likely that we will become angry if we are provoked. An important consideration in people’s reactions is how they perceive the crowd. If we feel crowded by the people around us, our arousal level increases because we feel that our freedom and control are restricted; we may also feel a sense of fear (Tavris, 1989). Additionally, we may find that the unwanted touch from strangers that occurs easily in crowds can lead to negative physical and emotional reactions (Graig, 1993). These feelings can become over-stimulating and lead to sensory overload, which then leads to higher levels of arousal (Goldberger, 1993).
Another environmental source of anger is traffic. Driving requires alertness and adaptation. However, drivers too often feel that other drivers are interfering with their progress, which increases stress (Novaco, Stokols, & Milanesi, 1990).
In other words, we experience frustration from what we perceive as behaviors that block our ability to pursue a goal, even it only means a lane change. Moreover, aggressive driving increases with congestion (Shinar, 1998). Also, drivers tend to interpret the behavior of other drivers as intentional, rude, and insulting while at the same time they see their own aggressive driving as justified and in response to someone else’s bad driving (Canary et al., 2002). These reactions are exacerbated by anonymity; we have no idea who is in the other car, and other drivers have no idea who we are. Ultimately, we depersonalize the other driver and the car into one object rather than seeing the car as an object containing a person.Conclusion 4.10: Several environmentalfactors can instigate conflict, and most people do not link their conflict readiness to environmental factors.
Suggestion 4.13: Don't allow the environment to cause a negative reaction toward other people.
In summary, many conflict instigators exist. Conflict does not always occur only when someone opposes your goal attempts. Conflict instigation can arise due to alcohol use, moods, emotions, stress, and environmental factors. Being mindful of these instigators of conflict should help you considerably to appraise the onset of conflict and gain episodic control.
More on the topic Environmental Instigators:
- Environmental Instigators
- INDEX
- Canary Daniel J., Lakey Sandra. Strategic Conflict. Routledge,2012. — 272 p., 2012
- SUBJECT INDEX