Assessing the forms and functions of aggression using self-report: Factor structure and invariance of the peer conflict scale in youths

Marsee, M.A.; Barry, C.T.; Childs, K.K.; Frick, P.J.; Kimonis, E.R.; Muñoz, L.C.; Aucoin, K.J.; Fassnacht, G.M.; Kunimatsu, M.M.; Lau, K.S.

doi:10.1037/a0023369

Assessing the forms and functions of aggression using self-report: Factor structure and invariance of the peer conflict scale in youths

Marsee, M.A.; Barry, C.T.; Childs, K.K.; Frick, P.J.; Kimonis, E.R.; Muñoz, L.C.; Aucoin, K.J.; Fassnacht, G.M.; Kunimatsu, M.M.; Lau, K.S.

Authors

M.A. Marsee

C.T. Barry

K.K. Childs

P.J. Frick

E.R. Kimonis

L.C. Muñoz

K.J. Aucoin

G.M. Fassnacht

M.M. Kunimatsu

K.S. Lau

Contributors

LC Centifanti fmnv66@durham.ac.uk
Other

Abstract

This study examined the structure of a self-report measure of the forms and functions of aggression in 855 adolescents (582 boys, 266 girls) aged 12 to 19 years recruited from high school, detained, and residential settings. The Peer Conflict Scale (PCS) is a 40-item measure that was developed to improve upon existing measures and provide an efficient, reliable, and valid assessment of four dimensions of aggression (i.e., reactive overt, reactive relational, proactive overt, and proactive relational) in youths. Confirmatory factor analyses showed that a 4-factor model represented a satisfactory solution for the data. The factor structure fit well for both boys and girls and across high school, detained, and residential samples. Internal consistency estimates were good for the 4 factors, and they showed expected associations with externalizing variables (i.e., arrest history, callous-unemotional traits, and delinquency). Reactive and proactive subtypes showed unique associations consistent with previous literature. Implications for the use of the PCS to assess aggression and inform intervention decisions in diverse samples of youths are discussed.

Citation

Marsee, M., Barry, C., Childs, K., Frick, P., Kimonis, E., Muñoz, L., …Lau, K. (2011). Assessing the forms and functions of aggression using self-report: Factor structure and invariance of the peer conflict scale in youths. Psychological Assessment, 23(3), 792-804. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0023369

Journal Article Type	Article
Publication Date	Sep 1, 2011
Deposit Date	Aug 10, 2011
Publicly Available Date	Apr 24, 2014
Journal	Psychological Assessment
Print ISSN	1040-3590
Electronic ISSN	1939-134X
Publisher	American Psychological Association
Peer Reviewed	Peer Reviewed
Volume	23
Issue	3
Pages	792-804
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1037/a0023369
Keywords	Adolescents, Proactive aggression, Reactive aggression, Relational aggression, Peer Conflict Scale, Factor Structure, Invariance, Self-report.