Getting angry could help you achieve your goals, new research suggests.

Often perceived as a negative emotion, anger can actually be a powerful motivator for people to meet challenging targets in their lives.

It is useful in achieving more challenging goals, but does not appear to be linked to easier tasks, the study suggests.

The findings suggest emotions that are often considered negative, such as anger, boredom or sadness, can be useful.

Lead author Heather Lench, a professor in the department of psychological and brain sciences at Texas A and M University, USA, said: “People often believe that a state of happiness is ideal, and the majority of people consider the pursuit of happiness a major life goal.