Development of an Anger Regulation Tool for Hand-Held Devices

ended

Our research team at the Amsterdam Emotion regulation Lab (emotionregulationlab.com) has recently established that avoidance movements can lower anger and aggression among individuals with chronic anger management problems. Building on and extending these findings, we propose to develop, test, and market an interactive application that runs on mobile devices such as smart phones and tablets. This Anger Reduction Tool (ART) will consist of a ‘serious game’ that trains people to make avoidance movements to angry faces. The ART will be commercialized through a freemium model, such that it will be made freely available, while users can purchase additional functionalities using bio- and neuro-feedback modules. The ART will be marketed to mental health professionals with clients who are not willing or able to respond to traditional cognitive interventions, such as high school children or lower-educated violent offenders. By harnessing the possibilities of smart technology, the ART allows people to become co-managers of their (mental) health and well-being.