JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Whether it's a politician shouting "liar" at the President of the United States, a tennis star cursing at a line judge or a rap star taking the limelight from another singer -- Americans are angrier than ever. And they're making sure you know how they feel.
"This is where anger is expressed in what many people would consider an unacceptable way," says Dr. Charles Spielberger, a professor and researcher at the University of South Florida.
We traveled to the college in Tampa to find out more about the root of anger and how people should deal with it.
"Anger is a normal, naturally-occuring emotional feeling," says Dr. Spielberger, who came up with the first scientific method to measure anger.
But he says it's how you deal with anger than can make the difference.
Dr. Spielberger says the first thing you need to do is recognize when you're angry.
"Once you know you're feeling angry, then you need to look at the circumstances that seem to be influencing your anger."
He says often times, people who are upset, take out their anger on someone else, who has nothing to do with the incident.
One of the most common places people get upset is behind the wheel. Drivers often experience "road rage."
"They get out on the road, they experience a lot of frustration on the road which keys off the underlying frustration in their lives and they need to feel like they're doing something about it," says Spielberger.
His best advice when dealing with another angry driver is to just ignore them and concentrate on being safe on the road.
If you allow yourself to get upset too often, you can suffer from health problems.
"The combination of intense anger and strong efforts to control, keep the blood pressure elevated, the heart rate elevated and this could lead to hypertension," says Spielberger.
His test to measure your anger asks a series of 57 questions, dealing with how often you get angry, how you express your anger and how others perceive your anger.
While anger can often be seen in a negative light, Spielberger says it can also prompt change.
"Anger is a motivator to deal with something frustrating, something that is upsetting. How you deal with it involves the control of the anger and recognizing the importance of the situation that provokes it."
At the end of the day, if your anger is expressed in an appropriate way, Spielberger says it can actually be good.
