Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire (BPAQ)
Name:
Date:
Rate each of the following items in terms of how characteristic they are of you.
Key:
(1) = Extremely Uncharacteristic
(2) = Somewhat Uncharacteristic
(3) = Neither Uncharacteristic Nor Characteristic
(4) = Somewhat Characteristic
(5) = Extremely Characteristic
ITEM 1 2 3 4 5
1. Some of my friends think I am a
hothead.
2. If I have to resort to violence to
protect my rights, I will.
3. When people are especially nice
to me, I wonder what they want.
4. I tell my friends openly when I
disagree with them.
5. I have become so mad that I have
broken things.
6. I can’t help getting into arguments
when people disagree with me.
7. I wonder why sometimes I feel so
bitter about things.
8. Once in a while, I can’t control the
urge to strike another person.
9. I am an even-tempered person.
10. I am suspicious of overly friendly
strangers.
11. I have threatened people I know.
12. I flare up quickly but get over it
quickly.
13. Given enough provocation, I may
hit another person.
14. When people annoy me, I may
tell them what I think of them.
15. I am sometimes eaten up with
jealousy.
16. I can think of no good reason for
ever hitting a person.
17. At times I feel I have gotten a
raw deal out of life.
18. I have trouble controlling my
temper.
19. When frustrated, I let my irritation
show.
20. I sometimes feel that people are
laughing at me behind my back.
21. I often find myself disagreeing
with people.
22. If somebody hits me, I hit back.
23. I sometimes feel like a powder
keg ready to explode.
24. Other people always seem to get
the breaks.
25. There are people who pushed
me so far that we came to blows.
26. I know that "friends" talk about
me behind my back.
27. My friends say that I’m
somewhat argumentative.
28. Sometimes I fly off the handle for
no good reason.
29. I get into fights a little more than
the average person.
TOTAL SCORE:
Scoring and Interpretation
The BPAQ consists of four subscales, each comprising a specific set of items related to different aspects of
aggression:
1. Physical Aggression Subscale (Items 1-9): This subscale measures tendencies towards physically aggressive
behaviors, such as hitting, pushing, or physically harming others.
2. Verbal Aggression Subscale (Items 10-14): This subscale assesses inclinations towards using aggressive
language, including insults, threats, or verbally abusive behavior.
3. Anger Subscale (Items 15-21): This subscale gauges the intensity and frequency of feelings of anger and
irritability.
4. Hostility Subscale (Items 22-29): This subscale evaluates overall negative attitudes and hostility towards
others.
To calculate the scores for each scale, respondents rate their agreement or disagreement with each item. The
scores for items 7 and 18 are reverse-scored, as they are worded in the opposite direction to aggression.
To get the total score for aggression, the individual scale scores are added together. Higher total scores indicate a
higher level of aggressive behavior in the individual being assessed.
Additional Notes
Reference
Buss, A. H., & Perry, M. (1992). The Aggression Questionnaire. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology,
63(3), 452–459. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.63.3.452
