title: Factor structure of the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory for middle-aged men and women.
abstract: Recently, Forgays, Forgays, and Spielberger (in press) reported the first exploratory factor analysis of the total 44-item State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI) by gender. The analyses were based on a sample of over 700 male and female university students and identified quite well six of the original STAXI scales and subscales. In addition, a seventh factor, "Feel-Like-Expressing-Anger," emerged for women. In the present study, we examined the STAXI responses from a middle-aged adult population. Exploratory factor analyses replicated the majority of the original structure of the STAXI measure including a Feel-Like-Expressing-Anger factor for men and women. In addition, we employed confirmatory factor analyses and cross-validation procedures to test the validity of Spielberger's (1988) AHA! model. Based on these procedures, we found (a) that a seven-factor model provided a better fit than a six-factor solution for each gender and (b) evidence of robust gender differences for two factors: Feel-Like-Expressing-Anger and State Anger. These gender differences are consistent with the social costs for anger expression in women and the social benefits for men.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Western Washington University, Bellingham 98225-9089, USA.
authors.forename: D K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Forgays
authors.forename: C D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Spielberger
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Ottaway
authors.forename: D G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Forgays
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D000786:Anger; D003674:Defense Mechanisms; D019260:Expressed Emotion; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011594:Psychometrics; D012016:Reference Values