Cognitive Model of Anger
Novaco (1975) · Anger
Written by Tarun Vermani, Trainee Clinical Psychologist Last reviewed
Novaco's cognitive model of anger (1975) holds that it is the reading of an event, rather than the event itself, that creates anger — and that arousal and angry thinking then feed each other.
Cognitive Model of Anger
Novaco (1975)
Trigger / Provocation
A triggering event — external (being criticised, cut up in traffic, ignored, treated unfairly) or internal (a memory, or a physical state such as pain, tiredness or hunger that lowers the threshold).
Appraisals & Expectations
Appraisals and expectations that turn the event into a provocation — perceiving disrespect, injustice, deliberate wrongdoing or threat; rigid 'should' and 'must' rules; and hostile attributions about others' intentions.
Anger
The subjective experience of anger — from irritation and frustration through to intense rage.
Physical Arousal
Physiological arousal — heat, muscle tension, clenched jaw and fists, racing heart, and a surge of energy. Arousal and angry thoughts amplify each other.
Behavioural Reaction
The behavioural reaction — verbal or physical aggression, threats, slamming things, or withdrawal and suppression. Its consequences often escalate the situation, provoke others and create new problems, which confirm the hostile appraisal and prime the next episode.
The published model, shown for reference. Switch to “Blank” to see the empty template you complete with a client.
Understanding the model
Anger is a normal, sometimes useful emotion — but it can become a problem when it's too frequent, too intense, or leads to things we regret. This model, based on Novaco's work, shows how anger builds and what keeps it going.
It starts with a trigger — being cut up in traffic, criticised, ignored, or treated unfairly. But the trigger alone doesn't create the anger; how we read it does. Thoughts like 'that's disrespectful', 'they did it on purpose', or 'this shouldn't be allowed' turn a setback into a provocation.
That reading fires up the body — heat, tension, a pounding heart, a surge of energy — and this arousal and the angry thoughts feed each other, pushing the anger higher.
Then comes the reaction: snapping, shouting, lashing out — or bottling it up. Often the reaction makes things worse: it provokes others, creates new problems, and seems to prove we were right to be angry. So the pattern is primed to fire again. Seeing each part gives us places to step in.
Questions therapists ask about this model.
Frequently asked questions
What turns a setback into a provocation?
The reading given to it. Interpretations such as that was deliberate, that was disrespectful, or this should not be allowed turn an ordinary setback into a provocation, and rigid expectations about how others ought to behave make those readings more likely. The body follows — heat, tension, a pounding heart, a surge of energy — and the arousal and the angry thoughts push each other higher.
How does the behaviour keep the pattern going?
Through its consequences. Snapping, shouting or lashing out — and, differently, bottling it up — often makes the situation worse: it provokes others, creates new problems, and then appears to prove the original reading was right. That confirmation primes the next episode, which is why the consequences are formulated alongside the trigger and the appraisal rather than left off the diagram.
Is problem anger a diagnosis?
Not in itself. Anger is a normal emotion and can be entirely justified; the model describes a pattern in which it becomes too frequent, too intense or costly in its effects, whether on its own or alongside other difficulties. Novaco (1975) developed the account in work on anger control, and Novaco (1994) later examined anger as one factor bearing on the risk of violence among people with mental disorders.
Worksheets and reading for this model
Using this model in session — for therapists
How to introduce the model, guided-discovery questions, treatment targets and a behavioural experiment are available to signed-in therapists.
References
- Novaco, R. W. (1975). Anger control: The development and evaluation of an experimental treatment. Lexington Books.
- Novaco, R. W. (1994). Anger as a risk factor for violence among the mentally disordered. In J. Monahan & H. J. Steadman (Eds.), Violence and mental disorder: Developments in risk assessment (pp. 21–59). University of Chicago Press.
- Beck, R., & Fernandez, E. (1998). Cognitive-behavioral therapy in the treatment of anger: A meta-analysis. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 22(1), 63–74.
- Deffenbacher, J. L., Oetting, E. R., & DiGiuseppe, R. A. (2002). Principles of empirically supported interventions applied to anger management. The Counseling Psychologist, 30(2), 262–280.
This diagram is a reconstruction of the published model for clinical and educational use, grounded in the sources above.
Cite this page (APA 7)
Vermani, T. (2026). Cognitive Model of Anger. Formulate. https://formulatetools.co.uk/tools/formulation/anger-cognitive-model
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