Psychometric properties of the Impulsive/Premeditated Aggression Scale in Portuguese community and forensic samples

Abstract

Introduction Aggression can be defined according to impulsive or premeditated features. Impulsivity is defined as an uncontrolled and unplanned form of aggression. On the contrary, premeditation requires planning and is goal-oriented. Objective The purpose of this study was to validate the basic psychometric properties of the Impulsive/Premeditated Aggression Scale (IPAS) into European Portuguese. The scale evaluates aggression according to impulsive and premeditated features, which are considered the predominant forms of aggressive behavior, and can be used in community, forensic and clinical settings. Methods Participants from a community sample (n = 957; 424 male) and incarcerated individuals (n = 115, all male) completed the IPAS. Results Internal consistency and reliability indicated that the scale has good psychometric properties in both samples. Data from a principal component analysis (PCA) demonstrated similarities to previous structures reported in the literature. Conclusions The scale demonstrated to be sensitive to the bimodal classification of aggression in community and forensic samples, indicating its utility in the characterization of aggressive patterns.

Versatility and exploratory psychometric properties of the Impulsive/Premeditated Aggression Scale (IPAS): A review

“…Among community samples the scale demonstrated strong internal consistency, a factorial structure comparable to previous studies, constant across men and women, and evidence of convergent validity with other aggression scales. It was also found that IA is the predominant pattern among community samples (Cruz et al, 2019;Cruz & Barbosa, 2010;Haden et al, 2008;Rodríguez, 2015). Research on community samples have also demonstrated the predictive value of the association between impulsive and premeditated aggression and personality disorders in non-clinical samples (Chen et al, 2013;Ostrov & Houston, 2008).…”

“…Within the retrieved studies, ten Principal Components Analyses (PCA) were reported (Azevedo et al, 2018;Chen et al, 2013;Conner et al, 2009;Cruz et al, 2019;Kockler et al, 2006;Mathias et al, 2007;Rodríguez, 2015;Romans et al, 2015;Stanford et al, 2003), along with one Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) (Kuyck et al, 2013). Three studies reported both PCA and CFA (Azevedo et al, 2018;Chen et al, 2013;Rodríguez, 2015).…”

Addressing the Complex Links between Psychopathy and Childhood Maltreatment, Emotion Regulation, and Aggression—A Network Analysis in Adults

“…The Impulsive and Premeditated Aggression Scale (IPAS; [62], Portuguese version by [63]) was used to assess aggression. It is a self-rating scale that classifies impulsive (α = 0.91, e.g., "Anything could have set me off prior to the accidents") and premeditated (α = 0.87, e.g., "I feel my actions were necessary to get what I wanted") forms of aggression.…”

Brief Aggression Questionnaire: Evidências Psicométricas e Relações com os Cinco Grandes Fatores e a Tríade Sombria

“…Portanto, observam-se diversas perspectivas teóricas para o estudo da agressão, variando desde abordagens psicanalíticas até aquelas baseadas em teorias da aprendizagem (Bjørkly, 2006). Ademais, cabe ressaltar a pluralidade metodológica nos estudos sobre agressão, com estudos experimentais (Warburton & Bushman, 2019), observacionais (Harrell, 1980) e pesquisas de levantamento (García-Batista et al, 2022), além dos diversos instrumentos para medir o construto (e.g., Buss & Perry, 1992;Cruz et al, 2019).…”