A psychometric study of an anger inventory

Abstract

There is a paucity of research into anger caused by its long term association with theories of aggression, the difficulty of objectively researching emotional states and the difficulty of establishing suitable research techniques. Many of the measures used lack adequate psychometric documentation and there is a need to develop adequate research instruments. In the present study a systematic psychometric evaluation and revision of the Anger Self Report Questionnaire was undertaken. The original 89 item version of the test was administered to 246 Victoria University students and data subjected to extensive analyses, including item to total test, item to subtest and subtest to subtest correlations. Reliabilities were calculated and factor analyses undertaken. Results showed that the original questionnaire measured a strong general anger factor but that it was not possible to divide this factor into separate replicable components of anger which could be measured by the different subscales in the original test. A 30 item single scale questionnaire which measured a general anger factor was constructed using items from the original Anger Self Report. This test is easily readable and has high reliability.