Anger Management Scale – AMS
Measures an individual's ability to manage anger and resolve conflicts within an intimate partner relationship.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Anger Management Scale – AMS was developed by Sandra M. Stith & Sherry 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 4 factors/subscales: Escalation, Calming, Negative Outlook, Awareness.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Escalation | 1,2,4,7,12,18,29,31 | 8 |
| Calming | 6,8,11,20,22,23,24,25,26,27,30,32,33,34,35,36 | 16 |
| Negative Outlook | 3,9,10,14,15,16,17,28 | 8 |
| Awareness | 5,13,19,21 | 4 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a 4-point Likert scale (1 = Strongly Disagree to 4 = Strongly Agree).
The scale includes 17 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:
- Low Anger Management Skills: 36 – 72
- Moderate Anger Management Skills: 73 – 108
- High Anger Management Skills: 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.