Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire

What it measures

The most widely used multidimensional aggression measure in social psychology. Distinguishes physical and verbal aggression from the emotional state of anger and the cognitive component of hostility. Used in violence risk, media effects, and sports research.

Response format

Likert (1–5, extremely uncharacteristic to extremely characteristic of me)

Representative items

• Once in a while I can't control the urge to strike another person. (Physical)
• I tell my friends openly when I disagree with them. (Verbal)
• I flare up quickly but get over it quickly. (Anger)
• I am sometimes eaten up with jealousy. (Hostility)
• When frustrated, I let my irritation show. (Anger)

This is a licensed instrument — representative items are shown for reference only. Obtain the original scale materials from the publisher before use in research.

Usage notes & scoring

Four subscales and a total score. No established cut-offs; use with normative data. 12-item short version available (Webster et al., 2014). Widely used as a moderator in media violence research.

Recommended companion scales

Citation

Buss, A.H., & Perry, M. (1992). The Aggression Questionnaire. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 63(3), 452–459.

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