Citation

Kockler TR, Stanford MS, Nelson CE, Meloy JR, Sanford K. Am. J. Orthopsychiatry 2006; 76(1): 80-85.

Affiliation

Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Baylor University, USA. tk4nsic@yahoo.com

Copyright

(Copyright © 2006, American Orthopsychiatric Association, Publisher Wiley Blackwell)

DOI

10.1037/0002-9432.76.1.80

PMID

16569130

Abstract

The concept of a dichotomous versus a continuous aggression model continues to be debated within the research literature. The Impulsive/Premeditated Aggression Scale (IPAS; M. S. Stanford, R. J. Houston, C. W. Mathias, et al., 2003) is a newly developed self-report instrument designed to classify an individual's aggressive behavior as predominantly premeditated or predominantly impulsive. The IPAS consists of 30-items that are scored on a 5-point Likert scale. This study used a nonrandom sample of convenience (N = 85) from a forensic state hospital. Principal-components analysis of the 30 items revealed 2 distinct factors (Impulsive and Premeditated Aggression), which accounted for 33% of the variance. The results of this study further validate the bimodal classification of aggression through its application to a forensic sample. The implications for general assessment, diagnosis, and treatment are discussed.

Language: en