Work

Hardwired for Anger—A Predictive Processing Account of Trait Anger and Aggression

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: While anger may help us to detect and respond to threat, individuals high in trait anger and aggression often perceive danger where little exists. Drawing on predictive processing—a framework describing how the brain combines past experiences with current sensory input—we propose that anger-prone individuals overweight prior threat beliefs while underweighting current input. This imbalance may create a persistent state of alertness and readiness for anger and aggression. We identify disruptions in three core error-correction processes— selective attention , belief updating , and active inference —as potential mechanisms underlying this threat overestimation. Finally, we outline clinical implications, showing how predictive processing can help explain why existing anger treatments are effective, where they may be limited, and how they might be optimized.

Source: Emotion Review

DOI: 10.1177/17540739261480532

Authors: Johannes Larsson, Tom Denson, Hugo Hesser

Institutions: Örebro University, UNSW Sydney, Linköping University

Language: English

Topic: Embodied and Extended Cognition

Subfield: Cognitive Neuroscience

Field: Neuroscience

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,900