Use the Anger Rumination Scale (ARS) to see how much angry thoughts and memories occupy your mind. Online self-assessment at Emotral.
Anger Rumination Scale (ARS)
Read each statement and indicate how well it describes you in general. There are no right or wrong answers.
This questionnaire is a screening tool only and does not provide a medical or psychological diagnosis. If needed, the result should be discussed with a qualified mental health professional.
Your answers are confidential, and this test does not replace a professional diagnosis. Your answers are processed only on this device, in your browser, and are not stored on our servers. Only an anonymous summary of the result, without your name or answers, is sent to our team.
What is anger rumination?
Anger rumination means thinking repeatedly, and often unwillingly, about situations that made us angry: replaying an argument, returning to hurtful memories or thinking about getting even, long after the situation itself is over.
How it differs from ordinary anger
Anger is a normal emotion that usually comes and goes. In anger rumination the feeling itself may be brief, but the thinking about it continues and can keep the anger alive.
What does the ARS measure?
The Anger Rumination Scale (Sukhodolsky et al., 2001) uses 19 statements to measure four dimensions: angry afterthoughts, thoughts of revenge, angry memories and understanding of causes.
What the result can and cannot tell you
The result reflects your tendency to think repeatedly about angering experiences. It does not diagnose any condition, does not predict aggression, and no clinical cutoffs have been published for it.
When talking to a professional may help
If thoughts about anger trouble you for a long time, affect your sleep, relationships or work, or feel out of your control, talking to a mental health professional can help.
Source: Sukhodolsky, D. G., Golub, A., & Cromwell, E. N. (2001). Development and validation of the anger rumination scale. Personality and Individual Differences, 31(5), 689-700. doi:10.1016/S0191-8869(00)00171-9
Frequently asked questions
Why can I not let go of my anger?
The mind sometimes replays hurtful situations to understand them or regain a sense of control. This repeated replaying, called anger rumination, can keep anger going longer. The ARS shows in which areas this pattern is stronger for you.
Does this test show that I am aggressive?
No. The ARS measures how much you think repeatedly about anger, not aggressive behaviour, and it does not diagnose any condition.
Are my answers stored?
No. Your answers are processed only in your browser and are not stored on Emotral servers. You do not need an account to take the test.