An examination of the psychometric properties and dimensionality of the Aggression-Problem Behavior Frequency Scale in a sample of Black South African adolescents

Abstract

Advancing research into aggressive behaviour in South Africa necessitates a range of suitable measuring instruments. The Aggression-Problem Behavior Frequency Scale is one such instrument that has been extensively used in diverse settings. The authors of the Aggression-Problem Behavior Frequency Scale present it as a multidimensional scale that purports to measure physical, non-physical, and relational aggression. Despite the widespread use of the scale as a three-factor scale, the psychometric properties, specifically the factor structure of the instrument, have not been examined either globally or in South Africa. This article reports on the reliability, factor structure, and dimensionality of the Aggression-Problem Behavior Frequency Scale among a sample of Black South African adolescents. The scale demonstrated a high level of reliability both in terms of coefficient alpha and coefficient omega.