Hostility Inhibition Scale

Abstract

The Hostility Inhibition Scale (HIS), developed by Albert Bandura, Lipsher, and Miller in 1960, is a specialized assessment tool designed for use within the context of therapeutic supervision and evaluation. Its primary function is to measure the degree to which therapists inhibit the expression of their own hostility, particularly in response to challenging patient behaviors or during demanding clinical psychology work. The scale was created based on the hypothesis that a therapist’s personal anxieties and approach-avoidance reactions could significantly impact the effectiveness of their therapeutic work. The HIS is concise, consisting of 5 items rated on a 5-point Likert-style scale, providing a quick assessment of the tendency toward Hostility Inhibition.

Keywords

Hostility Inhibition Scale, Bandura, Psychotherapist Attitudes, Approach-Avoidance Reactions, Client Hostility, Rating Scales, Test Construction, Interrater Reliability.

Authors

Bandura, Albert; Lipsher, David H.; Miller, Paula E.

Purpose

The core purpose of the Hostility Inhibition Scale is to quantify the extent to which psychotherapists suppress or restrain the expression of hostile or aggressive feelings during interactions with patients. This assessment is critical for understanding potential countertransference issues and the impact of the therapist’s emotional regulation on the therapeutic process.

The scale was specifically intended to facilitate research into the relationship between therapist personality characteristics—such as the capacity for emotional expression—and the overall dynamics and outcomes of psychotherapy. By measuring inhibition, the scale helps researchers and supervisors identify areas where a therapist’s personal style may interfere with optimal patient care.

Construct

The HIS measures the psychological construct of Hostility Inhibition. This construct refers to a consistent pattern of restraining feelings of irritation, annoyance, or anger, even when strongly provoked, frustrated, or thwarted. In the context of the scale, high scores indicate a high degree of inhibition, suggesting that the therapist rarely expresses negative emotions, potentially reflecting an avoidance reaction to patient hostility.

This construct is hypothesized to be linked to a therapist’s anxiety regarding confrontation or negative emotional expression, which could manifest as avoidance behaviors when patients express their own hostility, thereby impeding the full exploration of critical therapeutic issues.

Validity

At the time of its initial publication in 1960, no formal measures of construct or criterion validity were explicitly indicated or reported for the Hostility Inhibition Scale.

Further research would be necessary to establish the scale’s validity, including convergent validity (correlation with other established measures of emotional suppression or defensiveness) and predictive validity (ability to predict specific therapist behaviors or therapeutic outcomes).

Reliability

Reliability data for the Hostility Inhibition Scale focused on its consistency across different evaluators. The scale demonstrated acceptable levels of inter-judge reliability.

• Interrater reliability: In the original study utilizing a sample of advanced clinical psychology students, the interrater reliability (or inter-judge reliability) coefficient was reported as 0.80. This coefficient suggests strong agreement among independent raters observing and scoring the therapists’ behavior, indicating that the scale’s items are interpreted and applied consistently.

Factor Analysis

Information regarding formal factor analysis for the Hostility Inhibition Scale is not provided in the original source documentation. Given the brevity of the instrument (5 items), it is presumed to measure a single, unitary construct of Hostility Inhibition.

Instrument

Test Type: Rating Scale, Observer-rated

Format: The scale is a 5-item, 5-point Rating Scale. Scoring ranges from high expressiveness (low inhibition) to high inhibition (low expressiveness).

Language Available: English (Original)

Population Group: Human, Male, Female

Age Group: Adulthood (18+ years)

Population Details: The scale was initially validated using advanced Clinical Psychology Students serving as subjects for evaluation. Location of initial study: United States.

Test Methodology: Test Reliability, Interrater Reliability Measurement.

Keywords

Psychotherapeutic Processes, Psychotherapist Approaches, Hostility, Emotional Suppression, Test Development, Inter-judge Reliability, 7200 Personality.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not applicable (Pre-ORCID era)

Affiliation Email addresses: Not available

Correspondence Address: Not available

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The Hostility Inhibition Scale was developed and published in 1960. It is classified under the psychological testing category 7200 Personality. The scale itself is indexed with the following Digital Object Identifier (DOI): https://doi.org/10.1037/t32334-000. Users seeking permission for current use should reference the primary source article published in the Journal of Consulting Psychology.

Reference’s

The primary source and reference for the Hostility Inhibition Scale are:

• Bandura, A., Lipsher, D. H., & Miller, P. E. (1960). Psychotherapists’ approach-avoidance reactions to patients’ expressions of hostility. Journal of Consulting Psychology, 24(1), 1–8.
  https://doi.org/10.1037/h0043403
• Scale Index DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/t32334-000

Items of the Hostility Inhibition Scale

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

• 1. Very easily irritated and angered—expresses irritation, annoyance, anger at the slightest frustration
• 2. Easily irritated and angered—expresses irritation, annoyance, anger even when mildly frustrated, provoked, or thwarted
• 3. Expresses irritation, annoyance, anger when moderately frustrated, provoked, or thwarted
• 4. Difficult to arouse to anger or to irritate—expresses irritation, annoyance, anger only when strongly frustrated, provoked, or thwarted
• 5. Very difficult to arouse to anger or to irritate—practically never expresses irritation, annoyance, or anger when strongly frustrated, provoked, or thwarted