AUTHOR=Schanz Christian G. , Equit Monika , Schäfer Sarah K. , Käfer Michael , Mattheus Hannah K. , Michael Tanja 

TITLE=Development and Psychometric Properties of the Test of Passive Aggression

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychology

VOLUME=12

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.579183

DOI=10.3389/fpsyg.2021.579183

ISSN=1664-1078

ABSTRACT=<p><bold>Background:</bold> To date, most research on aggression in mental disorders focused on active-aggressive behavior and found self-directed and other-directed active aggression to be a symptom and risk-factor of psychopathology. On the other hand, passive-aggressive behavior has been investigated less frequently and only in research on psychodynamic defense mechanisms, personality disorders, and dysfunctional self-control processes. This small number of studies primarily reflects a lack of a reliable and valid clinical assessment of passive-aggressive behavior. To address this gap, we developed the Test of Passive Aggression (TPA), a 24-item self-rating scale for the assessment of self-directed and other-directed passive-aggressive behavior.</p><p><bold>Method:</bold> Study 1 examined the internal consistency and factorial validity of the TPA in an inpatient sample (<italic>N</italic> = 307). Study 2 investigated the retest-reliability, internal consistency, and construct validity (active aggression, personality traits, impulsivity) of the TPA in a student sample (<italic>N</italic> = 180).</p><p><bold>Results:</bold> In line with our hypothesis, Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling revealed an acceptable to good fit of a bi-factorial structure of the TPA (<italic>Chi-square-df-ratio</italic> = 1.98; <italic>RMSR</italic> = 0.05, fit.off = 0.96). Both TPA scales showed good to excellent internal consistency (<italic>α</italic> = 0.83–0.90) and 4-week retest-reliability (<italic>r</italic><sub><italic>tt</italic></sub> = 0.86). Correlations with well-established aggression scales, measures of personality, and impulsivity support discriminant and convergent validity of the TPA.</p><p><bold>Conclusions:</bold> The TPA is a reliable and valid instrument for the assessment of self-directed and other-directed passive-aggressive behavior.</p>