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
- Average Aggression: 59 – 87
- Moderate-High Aggression: 88 – 116
- High Aggression: 117 – 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.