A re-examination of the verbal aggressiveness scale: One factor or two?

The contribution of Infante and Wigley's theoretical work regarding trait verbal aggressiveness has been underscored by the numerous investigations into the nature, correlates, and consequences of trait verbal aggressiveness in a wide variety of social contexts. Although results consistent with theoretical expectations have been obtained when the Verbal Aggressiveness Scale (VAS) has been employed in a unidimensional form, recent evidence suggests that the precision of the VAS can be enhanced through multi-dimensional interpretation. In the present study, evidence gleaned from (I) exploratory factor analyses, (2) interfactor correlations, and (3) reliability analyses, all cast doubt on a unidimensional interpretation of the VAS. Conceptual and methodological implications are discussed.