The Anger Expression Scale for Children: initial validation among healthy children and children with cancer.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the proposed structure of the Anger Expression Scale for Children (AESC) in samples of healthy children and those with cancer, and to examine correlations between AESC subscales and other indicators of anger and hostility.


METHODS
A total of 803 children from two independent studies of healthy and ill children (mean age = 12.7, SD = 3.1) completed the AESC and other measures of anger expression and hostility, and a sub-sample of 298 of their parents completed measures of anger expression and hostility.


RESULTS
Results provided initial support for the proposed four-factor model of the AESC (Trait Anger, Anger Expression, Anger In, and Anger Control). Measurement invariance was established across groups using a series of nested tests. Correlations between AESC subscales and parent- and child-reported indices of anger, hostility, and aggression support the convergent validity of the scales.


CONCLUSIONS
Analyses supported the construct validity of the AESC and generalization of the factor structure across healthy and chronically ill children.
University of Kansas, Clinical Child Psychology Program, Kansas, USA.
Ric G
RG
Steele
John-Paul
JP
Legerski
Timothy D
TD
Nelson
Sean
S
Phipps
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology; D000786:Anger; D002648:Child; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006791:Hostility; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012016:Reference Values; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012803:Sick Role; D013694:Temperament