Neuro-Feedback Anger Regulation: Findings from a Pilot Study and Implications for Social Work

Background and Purpose: Anger has been correlated with different forms of aggressive behaviors including assault, property damage, and violence. It has been linked with increased health risks for coronary heart disease, heart attacks, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. It is both prevalent, impacting approximately 7.8% of the U.S. population especially men and young adults, and debilitating as it is associated with decreased psychosocial functioning. Therefore, anger is frequently targeted for intervention by mental health practitioners using a variety of modalities such as cognitive-behavioral therapy for substance abuse and mental health, psychoeducation, and many others. Also, researchers and advocates have identified anger management as an important variable to consider when investigating serious social problems like bullying, interpersonal violence, road rage, and other forms of violence. This multi-disciplinary pilot study sought to identify the brain signature for anger as the initial phase of a larger project that aims to produce a wearable neuro-feedback device for anger management that may be used as a tool for those who struggle with anger regulation. This presentation will report the findings from the pilot phase of the project.

The research question for this phase of the project was: Will the use of electro-encephalogram (EEG) detect different electrocortical activities in volunteers when exposed to brief video clips intended to elicit happiness, neutrality, and anger?  In other words, can a neural signature for anger be identified?

Methods: 30 adult, male, right-handed students and community members with no self-reported problems with anger were recruited. Participants wore non-invasive equipment (an EEG hat, a heart rate monitor, and a blood pressure monitor), were shown a series of three video clips (2-3 minutes each) to elicit emotion (2 happiness invoking videos, and 1 anger invoking video), and completed a brief self-report form of their emotional reactions following each clip. Baseline measurements were recorded while participants watched a neutral video clip. 32 EEG channels captured 11.5 million data points per participant or 79.4 GB of data in total.

Results: The state of anger from neutral can be classified with 96% accuracy. The 5 most relevant EEG channels were identified (P8, O1, O2, Oz, Fc5). There is a distinct difference between men in their 20’s and more mature men. 

Conclusions and Implications: Due to the encouraging results we report here, the next phase of the larger research project will be discussed. Implications for social work research and practice, and advancing the goals of some of social work’s grand challenges including promoting smart decarceration and harnessing technology for social good will also be discussed.