Aggression Questionnaire (AQ)

Abstract

The Aggression Questionnaire (AQ), developed by Buss and Warren in 2000, is one of the most widely utilized and validated self-report measures designed for assessing aggressive tendencies in both children and adults. Serving as a comprehensive revision of the earlier Buss-Durkee Hostility Inventory, the AQ consists of 34 items that measure an individual’s aggressive responses and their ability to constructively manage those responses. The instrument provides detailed scores across five distinct subscales: Physical Aggression, Verbal Aggression, Anger, Hostility, and Indirect Aggression, in addition to a Total Score. Due to its brief completion time (approximately 10 minutes) and accessible reading level, the AQ is highly practical for large-scale screening and clinical assessment across diverse populations.

Keywords

Aggression, Anger, Hostility, Physical Aggression, Verbal Aggression, Psychological Assessment, Self-report measures, Clinical screening, Buss and Warren.

Authors

Buss, A. H., Warren, W. L.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Aggression Questionnaire (AQ) is to provide a reliable and quick method for the routine screening and assessment of aggressive tendencies and related emotional states in various populations. In clinical settings, the detailed subscale scores are instrumental for precise treatment planning and the measurement of treatment outcomes.

The scale is designed to quantify different facets of aggressive behavior, allowing clinicians and researchers to identify specific profiles of aggression. Its brevity and ease of administration make it suitable for institutional settings, including correctional facilities, schools, businesses, and geriatric hospitals, where it is used for documenting the need for service, focusing rehabilitation efforts, and conducting program evaluations.

Construct

The AQ measures the multidimensional psychological construct of aggression, breaking it down into five interrelated components. This structure moves beyond general measures to capture the specific ways individuals express or experience aggression, anger, and hostility.

• Physical Aggression: Measures the tendency to use physical force against others.
• Verbal Aggression: Measures the tendency to express aggression through verbal means, such as yelling or arguing.
• Anger: Measures the emotional component, including physiological arousal and negative feelings associated with frustration.
• Hostility: Measures cognitive components, such as cynicism, resentment, and suspicion of others.
• Indirect Aggression: Measures subtle or covert acts of aggression, often aimed at damaging relationships or reputation (e.g., gossiping, silent treatment).

The comprehensive nature of these subscales allows for a nuanced understanding of an individual’s aggressive profile, which is critical for targeted interventions.

Validity

Research supports the validity of the AQ across different cultural and clinical samples. A study analyzing the instrument in a Spanish sample of 767 partner assaultive men undergoing psychological treatment demonstrated robust convergent validity.

Specifically, positive correlations were found between the AQ scores and scores derived from other established instruments used to measure aggression. These findings confirmed that the AQ is a suitable instrument for assessing aggression, anger, and hostility, particularly within high-violence populations like partner assaultive men. Furthermore, the standardization process, based on a large and diverse sample, ensures the generalizability of the measure across various age groups.

Reliability

The Aggression Questionnaire exhibits strong psychometric properties, indicating high reliability. The instrument provides an Inconsistent Responding Index to help assess the reliability of the respondent’s pattern of answers.

The internal consistency of the AQ has been supported across various studies, confirming that the items within each subscale reliably measure the intended construct. The standardization sample, comprising 2,138 individuals spanning ages 9 to 88, provided comprehensive norms across three distinct age sets (9-18, 19-39, and 40-88). This extensive standardization, which also separates norms for the Physical Aggression and Verbal Aggression scales by sex, contributes significantly to the instrument’s reliability and clinical utility.

Factor Analysis

The factorial structure of the Aggression Questionnaire has been extensively analyzed. Although the scale is typically scored across five subscales, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) conducted on specialized samples, such as the Spanish sample of partner assaultive men, supported a distinct four-factor structure.

This finding suggests that while the five-scale model is standard for clinical use, the underlying statistical structure often confirms strong dimensionality related to four core components (often Physical Aggression, Verbal Aggression, Anger, and Hostility/Indirect Aggression combined). The support for this structure reinforces the AQ’s status as a robust, multidimensional measure suitable for assessing aggression in complex clinical and forensic populations.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report inventory, psychological assessment scale

Format: 34 items, rated on a 5-point Likert scale (ranging from “Not at all like me” to “Completely like me.”)

Language Available: English (and validated in other languages, e.g., Spanish)

Population Group: General population, clinical, correctional, and institutional settings.

Age Group: 9 to 88 years old (with age-specific norms).

Population Details: Standardization based on 2,138 individuals. Usable with virtually anyone due to a third-grade reading level. Includes specialized use with partner assaultive men.

Test Methodology: Can be hand scored quickly or administered and scored via proprietary software (e.g., AQ CD), which generates detailed interpretive reports. A 15-item short form is also available for research or instances of incomplete full questionnaires.

Keywords

Psychological screening, treatment outcome, correctional assessment, Buss-Durkee Hostility Inventory, psychometrics, Confirmatory factor analysis, personality assessment.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not provided in source.

Affiliation Email addresses: Not provided in source.

Correspondence Address: Not provided in source.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The Aggression Questionnaire (AQ) was published in 2000. Permissions and usage fees are typically managed by the publisher, Western Psychological Services (WPS). The instrument is considered brief and inexpensive, facilitating its use in large-scale screening efforts.

Reference’s

• Buss, A. H., & Warren, W. L. (2000). Aggression Questionnaire: Manual. Los Angeles: Western Psychological Services.

Items of the Aggression Questionnaire (AQ)

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

1. My friends say that I argue a lot.
2. Other people always seem to get the breaks.
3. I flare up quickly‚ but get over it quickly.
4. I often find myself disagreeing with people.
5. At times I feel I have gotten a raw deal out of life.
6. I can’t help getting into arguments when people disagree with me.
7. At times I get very angry for no good reason.
8. I may hit someone if he or she provokes me.
9. I wonder why sometimes I feel so bitter about things.
10. I have threatened people I know.
11. Someone has pushed me so far that I hit him or her.
12. I have trouble controlling my temper.
13. If I’m angry enough‚ I may mess up someone’s work.
14. I have been mad enough to slam a door when leaving someone behind in the room.
15. When people are bossy‚ I take my time doing what they want‚ just to show them.
16. I wonder what people want when they are nice to me.
17. I have become so mad that I have broken things.
18. I sometimes spread gossip about people I don’t like.
19. I am a calm person. (Reverse scored)
20. When people annoy me‚ I may tell them what I think of them.
21. I sometimes feel that people are laughing at me behind my back.
22. I let my anger show when I do not get what I want.
23. At times I can’t control the urge to hit someone.
24. I get into fights more than most people.
25. If somebody hits me‚ I hit back.
26. I tell my friends openly when I disagree with them.
27. If I have to resort to violence to protect my rights‚ I will.
28. I do not trust strangers who are too friendly.
29. At times I feel like a bomb ready to explode.
30. When someone really irritates me‚ I might give him or her silent treatment.
31. I know that “friends” talk about me behind my back.
32. Some of my friends think I am a hothead.
33. At times I am so jealous I can’t think of anything else.
34. I like to play practical jokes.