Purpose and Scale Analysis

The Anger Expression Scale for Children (AESC-22) was developed in 2009 by Steele and colleagues to detect anger in children. Measuring anger expression in pediatric populations is especially important due to the known associations between anger and hostility. The primary goal of this scale is to assess both anger itself and the multiple aspects of its expression and regulation in children. For this reason, it is primarily used by child psychologists.

Question Calibration

The AESC-22 consists of 22 statements, 10 of which assess trait anger, referring to how a person generally feels (e.g., “I feel like I’m always angry”), and the remaining 12 evaluate the way a child responds to anger (e.g., expression, control, or suppression) (e.g., “I try to be patient”). Responses to the statements are rated using a four-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 (almost never) to 4 (almost always).

Statistical Analysis

The scale yields an overall score, with higher scores indicating a greater intensity of anger in children.

Validity and Reliability

Regarding internal consistency using Cronbach’s alpha:
For trait anger, α = 0.82
For anger response style, α = 0.72
For anger expression, α = 0.69
For anger suppression and control, α = 0.75
These values indicate good to acceptable reliability across the subscales.

References

Cumming, M. M., Poling, D., & Smith, S. W. (2021). Validation of the Anger Expression Scale for children with fourth and fifth graders: Implications for identifying students at risk for behavior problems. Assessment, 28(5), 1418–1433.
Jacobs, G. A., Phelps, M., & Rohrs, B. (1989). Assessment of anger expression in children: The pediatric anger expression scale. Personality and Individual Differences, 10(1), 59–65.
Steele, R. G., Legerski, Nelson, T. D., & Phipps, S. (2009). The Anger Expression Scale for Children: Initial validation among healthy children and children with cancer.