State Hostile Aggression

What it measures

Three items tap a person's current feelings of bitterness and resentment, reflecting a belief that life is unfair and that others are receiving more favourable outcomes. Sinha and Bagchi (2019) used the scale in two studies with undergraduate participants. It is a slightly adapted version of Bryant and Smith's (2001) abbreviated hostile aggression subscale, which was itself derived from the Buss and Perry (1992) Aggression Questionnaire. Items are worded to capture momentary states rather than stable traits.

Response format

7-point Likert (1=very unlike me, 7=very like me)

Scale items

• Right now, I feel I have gotten a raw deal out of life.
• Other people right now seem to get the breaks.
• I wonder why right now I feel so bitter about things.

Full scale items shown. Always cite the original source when using this scale in research.

Usage notes & scoring

Item wording uses 'right now' to orient responses to a current emotional state rather than a trait. Alpha was .76 in Study 2c. The CFA across studies showed reasonably acceptable fit when modelled alongside physical, verbal, and anger aggression subscales, offering preliminary evidence of discriminant validity.

Citation

Sinha, J., & Bagchi, R. (2019). Role of ambient temperature in influencing willingness to pay in auctions and negotiations. Journal of Marketing, 83(4), 121–138.

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