Point Subtraction Aggression Paradigm: Validity of a Brief Schedule of Use

Abstract

The Point Subtraction Aggression Paradigm (PSAP) is a validated behavioral measure of aggression in response to provocation. Canonically, multiple sessions continue until performance asymptotes, requiring significant time. We sought to examine whether use of the PSAP-first-session ("PSAP-FS") had acceptable construct validity for group data, potentially expanding the settings in which the PSAP may be useful. One hundred male and female young adult subjects completed the PSAP-FS and additional behavioral measures of aggression, and provided information related to risk factors. The PSAP-FS correlated significantly with known risk factors of aggression. The PSAP-FS, which measures aggression in the present, correlated well with measures of recent aggression and less strongly with life history of aggression. The PSAP-FS had satisfactory validity properties for use where group-level data are of interest.

Impulsive Aggression, Delay Discounting, and Adolescent Suicide Attempts: Effects of Current Psychotropic Medication Use and Family History of Suicidal Behavior

“…The construct validity of a single session of the PSAP has been established (Golomb et al 2007). The external validity of the PSAP for children and adolescents has been supported by prior studies of aggressive children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder 116 BRIDGE ET AL.…”

“…Seventh, to reduce participant burden, the study used only a single session of the PSAP to assess impulsive aggression in participants. Although this approach has demonstrated acceptable construct validity (Golomb et al 2007), it remains unclear whether assessment of impulsive aggression using the more common method of conducting multiple PSAP sessions until performance asymptotes (Cherek et al 1997) would have yielded different results. Therefore, future studies would likely benefit from exploring the effect of single versus multiple administrations of the PSAP on adolescent suicidal behavior.…”

Zolmitriptan and human aggression: interaction with alcohol

“…By comparison, another common task, the Taylor aggression procedure (or TAP), measures the intensity of aggressive behavior (McCloskey and Berman 2003;Taylor et al 1976;Parrott and Giacola 2007). Previous studies in subjects with histories of frequent aggressive behavior, criminal violence and disorders associated with aggression (substance abuse, antisocial personality and borderline personality disorders) have documented the external validity of the PSAP Gerra et al 2004;Golomb et al 2007;Moeller et al 1998).…”

Reading Personality: Avatar vs. Human Faces

“…To measure observed aggressiveness, penalty minutes male players accrued in hockey games were tallied. In addition, they observed wide-faced males' behavior in the Point subtraction Aggression paradigm, a behavioral task positively correlated with various self-report measures of aggressiveness [17] [18]. Results from both experiments were consistent.…”