Problem: The student frequently appears to be angry or in a bad mood. He may not choose to participate in fun activities. He may yell at others or seem generally irritated by his peers. He may have few positive peer social interactions

Please review the list of possible explanations to the problem. Click on a possibility to learn about relevant observations and experiments to further determine the source of the problem There are 4 categories: General Medical, Cognitive/Self-Regulatory, Behavioral, Social-Emotional

Click on "MORE" after any of these possible explanations to view suggestions for exploring that possible explanation.

General Medical Possibilities:

Medical Possibility #1: Chronic Pain. Some students may appear to be angry as a result of being in chronic pain. MORE...

Medical Possibility #2: Fatigue, hunger, general nutrition: Some students may appear to be angry as a result of fatigue or hunger. (See Tutorial on Fatigue.) MORE...

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Cognitive/Self-Regulatory Possibilities:

Cognitive/Self-Regulatory Possibility #1: Inhibition impairment: Some students may appear to be angry as a result of inhibition impairment (i.e., impulse-control problems). (See Tutorials on Self-Regulation, Inhibition.) MORE...

Cognitive/Self-Regulatory Possibility #2:Inflexibility: Some students may appear to be angry as a result of difficulty with change; they may be rigid and inflexible; they may have particular difficulty with novel versus routine tasks. (See Tutorial on Flexibility.) MORE...

Cognitive/Self-Regulatory Possibility #3: Generally weak cognitive functioning: Some students may appear to be angry as a result of excessive demands placed on their memory, organizational ability, academic skill, or other cognitive ability. (See Tutorials on Cognition, Memory, Organization.) MORE...

Cognitive/Self-Regulatory Possibility #4: Weak orientation to task: Some students may appear to be angry as a result of uncertainty regarding what is required of them. (See Tutorials on Language Comprehension; Organization.) MORE...

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Behavioral Possibilities:

Negative behaviors can serve a variety of possible purposes, including (1) to escape something (e.g., escape a person, place, activity, demand, sensory environment), (2) to gain access to or acquire something (e.g., gain access to a person, place, activity, thing, attention), (3) to gain control or power, (4) to gain peer attention, approval, or admiration, (5) other. Each of these possibilities can be explored experimentally in a way that is similar to the other experimental explorations outlined on this web site. In the case of negative behaviors, this exploration is called functional behavior assessment. MORE...

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Social-Emotional Possibilities

Social-Emotional Possibility #1: Depression: Some students may appear to be angry because they are upset, depressed, and/or lack positive relationships with peers and/or adults. (See Tutorials on Depression; Peer Relationships.) Young children often manifest depression by acting out. MORE...

Social-Emotional Possibility #2: Anxiety: Some students may appear to be angry as a result of anxiety. (See Tutorial on Anxiety.) MORE...

Social-Emotional Possibility #3: Frustration: Some students may appear to be angry as a result of feeling frustrated. (See Tutorial on Frustration.) MORE...

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