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Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire (BPAQ)3

Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire (BPAQ) Test

Understand your levels of aggression and related feelings in about 6 minutes. Get clear, practical scores across key areas to support counseling, training, research, and progress tracking.

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Questions: 296 minutes

08:30

October 2, 2025

October 2, 2025
Material has been updated

October 2, 2025
Material has been published

28,639 views

3,120 completions

2,496 likes

Verified by Daniel Hall

Psychologist with 25 years of experience

Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

example score

20/25

Verbal Aggression (VA)

Verbal aggression measures the tendency to express aggression through words such as insults, threats, or hostile remarks.

Low

Moderate

High

5 – 9: Low | 10 – 17: Moderate | 18 – 25: High

A score of 20 falls in the High range, suggesting a pronounced tendency to use aggressive or threatening language in conflict situations.

example score

32/40

Hostility (H)

Hostility measures the cognitive aspect of aggression, including mistrust, suspiciousness, and negative expectations toward others.

Low

Moderate

High

8 – 11: Low | 12 – 25: Moderate | 26 – 40: High

A score of 32 falls in the High range, suggesting a stronger tendency toward mistrust and negative interpretations of others’ intentions.

example score

10/35

Anger (A)

Anger measures the emotional arousal component of aggression, reflecting irritability and readiness for angry reactions.

Low

Moderate

High

7 – 10: Low | 11 – 24: Moderate | 25 – 35: High

A score of 10 falls in the Low range, suggesting generally infrequent or mild anger responses compared with typical levels on this scale.

example score

29/45

Physical Aggression (PA)

Measures the tendency to use physical force as a form of aggressive behavior.

Low

Moderate

High

9 – 11: Low | 12 – 24: Moderate | 25 – 45: High

A score of 29 falls in the High range, suggesting a stronger-than-average readiness for physical forms of aggression compared with lower scores on this scale.

example score

66/145

Total Aggression Score (TAS)

This scale measures the overall intensity of aggressive manifestations by summarizing physical aggression, verbal aggression, anger, and hostility.

Low

Moderate

High

29 – 45: Low | 46 – 86: Moderate | 87 – 145: High

A score of 66 falls in the Moderate range, indicating a mid-level overall expression of aggression-related tendencies compared with the scale’s full span.

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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

Self-improvement seekers

41%OF USERS

People who feel easily irritated or confrontational take it to understand their anger, hostility, and risk of physical aggression.

Therapy and counseling clients

34%OF USERS

Clients in counseling use it to identify aggression patterns and track changes while working on emotion regulation and conflict behavior.

Teens and school support

25%OF USERS

Adolescents and school staff use it to screen for aggression-related difficulties and guide supportive interventions.

BASED ON AGGREGATED, ANONYMIZED DATA FROM TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FREUDLY USERS.

Benchmarking

See How You Compare

Once you complete the test, your results are compared with real-world data from people in your country.
Below is a preview of how scores are typically distributed across each scale.

Verbal aggression (Va)

Average

10.7

Normal range

7.7 — 13.7

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Hostility (H)

Average

19.9

Normal range

15.1 — 24.6

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Anger (A)

Average

27.5

Normal range

23 — 32.1

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Physical Aggression (PA)

Average

24.7

Normal range

18.7 — 30.6

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Overall Score (OS)

Average

59.2

Normal range

38.6 — 79.9

min.

max.

145

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

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SAMPLE QUESTIONS

Example Questions From the Test

Please read the statements below and rate each one using the five-point scale. There are no right or wrong, good or bad answers. Select the response option that comes to mind first.

- Not at all like me
- Not very much like me
- Neither like nor unlike me, not sure
- Somewhat like me
- Very much like me
- Not like me at all
- Not very much like me
- Somewhere in between, not sure
- Somewhat like me
- Very much like me
- Not at all like me
- Not very much like me
- Somewhere in between, not sure
- Somewhat like me
- Very much like me

These are 3 of the 29 real questions — the rest appear in the test. No sign-up needed to start.

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WHAT THE TEST MEASURES

About This Assessment

Bass-Perry Aggression Questionnaire, BPAQ Test

Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire (BPAQ) Test - Symptoms and Signs

aggressiveness

anger

hostility

This self-report measure is designed to assess aggression-related tendencies across multiple domains. The Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire (BPAQ) is commonly used in clinical and research settings to characterize patterns of aggressive affect, cognition, and behavior.

The measure includes 29 items and typically takes about 6 minutes to complete. Respondents rate statements describing typical reactions and attitudes, supporting dimensional interpretation of aggression-related features.

Mark Perry is cited among the original developers. Results from the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire (BPAQ) may help inform case formulation, treatment planning, or research analyses when interpreted in the context of collateral information and relevant clinical history.

Author: Arnold H. Buss, Mark Perry

Literature: Anderson, C. A., & Bushman, B. J. Human aggression. Annual Review of Psychology. 2002.; Bettencourt, B. A., Talley, A., Benjamin, A. J., & Valentine, J. Aggression under provocation: A meta-analysis of the effect of alcohol on aggressive behavior. Psychological Bulletin. 2006.; Buss, A. H., & Perry, M. The aggression questionnaire. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 1992.