Professor Brad Bushman explains that venting anger doesn’t reduce it—in fact, it can intensify it in a recent TIME magazine article: “Is Venting Healthy, Or Does It Make Things Worse?” Bushman's research shows that expressing anger, such as by venting or hitting a punching bag, can increase rather than alleviate anger and aggression.

Bushman suggests that instead of venting, people should try calming techniques like meditation or deep breathing to effectively dissipate anger.

"Venting ‘is the worst thing you can do’ when you’re mad... It’s 'adding more fuel to the fire.'"

Bushman also was selected as one of the speakers for the International Society for Research on Aggression on Dec. 4. 

His talk, “Constructive and Destructive Anger Management Techniques” will explore destructive techniques like venting or acting out aggressively, which can intensify anger, and contrast them with constructive techniques such as mindfulness, deep breathing, or reframing, which help to reduce anger and promote emotional regulation. The talk will be free and livestreamed.