Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire – AQ
A self-report instrument designed to measure four dimensions of aggression: physical aggression, verbal aggression, anger, and hostility.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire – AQ was developed by Arnold H. Buss & Mark Perry (1992). It is designed to measure Aggression. The scale is intended for use with Adults and adolescents.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 29 items organized into 4 factors/subscales: Physical Aggression, Verbal Aggression, Anger, Hostility.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Physical Aggression | 2,5,8,11,13,16,22,25,29 | 9 |
| Verbal Aggression | 4,6,14,21,27 | 5 |
| Anger | 1,9,12,18,19,23,28 | 7 |
| Hostility | 3,7,10,15,17,20,24,26 | 8 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Extremely uncharacteristic of me, 2 = Somewhat uncharacteristic of me, 3 = Neither uncharacteristic nor characteristic of me, 4 = Somewhat characteristic of me, 5 = Extremely characteristic of me.
The scale includes 2 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 29 to 145. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Aggression: 29 – 58
- Moderate Aggression: 59 – 100
- High Aggression: 101 – 145
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Cronbach's alpha: Physical Aggression = 0.85, Verbal Aggression = 0.72, Anger = 0.83, Hostility = 0.77, Total = 0.89.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.