Beliefs About Aggression and Alternatives
Measures adolescents' attitudes toward the acceptability of physical aggression and their support for nonviolent conflict resolution strategies.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Beliefs About Aggression and Alternatives was developed by Albert D. Farrell, A.L. Meyer, K.S. White, & Multisite Violence Prevention Project (2001). It is designed to measure Beliefs about aggression and nonviolent alternatives. The scale is intended for use with Adolescents (specifically middle school students in grades 6-8).
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 12 items organized into 2 factors/subscales: Beliefs about Aggression, Use of Nonviolent Strategies.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Beliefs about Aggression | 3,4,6,10,11,12 | 6 |
| Use of Nonviolent Strategies | 1,2,5,7,8 | 5 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a 4-point Likert scale (1 = Strongly Disagree to 4 = Strongly Agree).
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 1 to 4. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low endorsement of the subscale construct: 1 – 2
- Moderate endorsement of the subscale construct: 2 – 3
- High endorsement of the subscale construct: 3 – 4
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Not specified.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.