Scale Overview
The Anger Management Scale – AMS was developed by Sandra M. Stith & Sue Hamby (2002). It is designed to measure Anger Management. The scale is intended for use with Adults in intimate relationships.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 36 items organized into 5 factors/subscales: Escalation, Calming Strategies, Anger Awareness, Externalizing and Blame, Positive Coping.
| Factor / Subscale |
Items |
N |
| Escalation |
1,2,4,7,12,18,29,31 |
8 |
| Calming Strategies |
6,8,22,23,24,25,26,30,34 |
9 |
| Anger Awareness |
5,13,19,21 |
4 |
| Externalizing and Blame |
3,9,10,14,15,16,17,28 |
8 |
| Positive Coping |
11,20,27,32,33,35,36 |
7 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a 4-point Likert scale (1 = Strongly Disagree to 4 = Strongly Agree).
The scale includes 16 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 36 to 144. Interpretation guidelines:
- Poor Anger Management: 36 – 72
- Moderate Anger Management: 73 – 108
- Good Anger Management: 109 – 144
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Not specified in source text.
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.