Beliefs Supporting Aggression Scale (BSAS) is a psychological scale used to measure an individual’s beliefs in the justification of aggressive behavior. It is a self–report scale that consists of 6 items that assess an individual’s agreement with statements related to aggression. The scale was developed by researchers at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in order to measure an individual’s beliefs in the justification of aggression. The BSAS was designed to measure an individual’s attitudes towards aggression. It assesses an individual’s beliefs in the justification of aggression in different contexts, such as in self–defense, in response to provocation, or as a means to obtain a desired outcome. The scale consists of 30 items that ask the individual to rate their agreement with statements related to aggression on a scale of 1 to 5. The items are divided into three subscales: Beliefs in Self–Defense, Beliefs in Provocation, and Beliefs in Instrumental Aggression. The Beliefs in Self–Defense subscale measures an individual’s agreement with statements related to the justification of aggression in self–defense. The Beliefs in Provocation subscale measures an individual’s agreement with statements related to the justification of aggression in response to provocation. The Beliefs in Instrumental Aggression subscale measures an individual’s agreement with statements related to the justification of aggression as a means to obtain a desired outcome. The BSAS has been used in a variety of research studies to assess an individual’s beliefs in the justification of aggression. It has been used to examine the relationship between beliefs in aggression and aggressive behavior, as well as to assess the impact of interventions designed to reduce aggressive behavior. The BSAS has been found to be a reliable and valid measure of an individual’s beliefs in the justification of aggression. Overall, the Beliefs Supporting Aggression Scale is an important tool for assessing an individual’s beliefs in the justification of aggression. It is a reliable and valid measure that can be used to examine the relationship between beliefs in aggression and aggressive behavior, as well as to assess the impact of interventions designed to reduce aggressive behavior.
DESCRIPTION
Measures agreement with normative beliefs about aggression. Designed to beadministered in group settings with individual audiocassette players. Respondents see only response choices inwritten form on answer sheets.
KEYWORDS
This tool touches on the following keywords:
· Aggressive
WHERE TO FIND OR DOWNLOAD
This instrument can be found on pages 20 of Measuring Violence-Related Attitudes‚ Behaviors‚ and Influences Among Youths: A Compendium of Assessment Tools‚ available online at: http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/YV_Compendium.pdf .
FEES AND REQUIREMENTS
None noted.
AGE RANGE
Males aged 12-16.
HOW TO ADMINISTER AND SCORE
Point values are summed for each respondent and divided by the number of items. The intended range of scores is 1-4‚ with a higher score indicating more beliefs that support aggressive behavior.
Scoring and Analysis
Point values are assigned as follows:
Strongly agree = 4
Agree = 3
Disagree = 2
Strongly disagree = 1
Point values are summed for each respondent and divided by the number of items. The intended range of scores is 1-4‚ with a higher score indicating more beliefs that support aggressive behavior.
SOURCE
Bandura A. Aggression: a social learning analysis. Englewood Cliffs‚ NJ: Prentice-Hall‚ 1973.
Beliefs Supporting Aggression
1. It makes you feel big and tough when you push someone around.
2. If you back down from a fight‚ everyone will think you are a coward.
3. Sometimes you have only two choices—get punched or punch the other kid first.
4. It’s OK to hit someone if you just go crazy with anger.
5. A guy who doesn’t fight back when other kids push him around will lose respect.
6. A guy shows he really loves his girlfriend if he gets in fights with other guys about her.
Cite this article
mohammad looti (2026). Beliefs Supporting Aggression scale. PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. Retrieved from https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/beliefs-supporting-aggression/
mohammad looti. "Beliefs Supporting Aggression scale." PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, 18 Apr. 2026, https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/beliefs-supporting-aggression/.
mohammad looti. "Beliefs Supporting Aggression scale." PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, 2026. https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/beliefs-supporting-aggression/.
mohammad looti (2026) 'Beliefs Supporting Aggression scale', PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. Available at: https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/beliefs-supporting-aggression/.
[1] mohammad looti, "Beliefs Supporting Aggression scale," PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, vol. X, no. Y, ص Z-Z, April, 2026.
mohammad looti. Beliefs Supporting Aggression scale. PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. 2026;vol(issue):pages.