Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire (BPAQ)
Psychology: PersonalityReliability: alphas 0.72–0.85 across 4 subscales4 sample items
About this scale
A 29-item measure of aggression across four facets: physical aggression, verbal aggression, anger, and hostility. The most cited aggression instrument.
Sample item(s)
“Once in a while I can't control the urge to strike another person (physical)”
“I tell my friends openly when I disagree with them (verbal)”
“I have trouble controlling my temper (anger)”
“I am sometimes eaten up with jealousy (hostility)”
Reliability
Reported internal consistency: alphas 0.72–0.85 across 4 subscales. As a rule of thumb, Cronbach’s α ≥ .70 is considered acceptable, ≥ .80 good, and ≥ .90 excellent for established measures.
Notes
Free for academic use; 12-item short form (Bryant & Smith 2001) widely used.
Source & citation
Buss, A. H., & Perry, M. (1992): The Aggression Questionnaire. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Vol. 63, No. 3, pp. 452–459.
Source. Scale details are summarised from the publication cited above. Always consult the original source for the full item set, scoring, and permission to use.
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