Validity and reliability of the Dutch version of the displaced aggression questionnaire

Abstract

BACKGROUND Displaced aggression occurs when a person encounters a provoking situation, is unable or unwilling to retaliate against the original provocateur, and subsequently aggresses against a target that is not the source of the initial provocation. The displaced aggression questionnaire (DAQ) was developed to measure individual differences in the tendency to displace aggression. AIM To develop a Dutch version of the DAQ and examine relationships between the DAQ and novel individual differences. METHODS The Dutch version of the DAQ was created using a back-translation procedure. Undergraduate students ( n = 413) participated in the current study. The questionnaires were administered online. RESULTS The results confirmed the original three-factor structure and showed good reliability and validity. We also found differential relationships between trait displaced aggression, social anxiety and cognitive distortions. CONCLUSION The results may indicate that distinct patterns exist in the development of the different dimensions of trait displaced aggression. This study adds to the growing cross-cultural literature showing the robustness of trait displaced aggression in several different cultures.

Effects of relative deprivation on change in displaced aggression and the underlying motivation mechanism: A three‐wave cross‐lagged analysis

“…Thus, the role of moral disengagement in displaced aggression may be more important than for the usual reactive aggression. This view is partly supported by Smeijers et al (2021), who found that cognitive distortions were related to being selfcentered, blaming others, minimizing/mislabeling, and assuming the worst; that are, the mechanisms of moral disengagement (Zhao & Zhang, 2022) were associated with displaced aggression. Thus, the change in moral disengagement may gradually lead to a corresponding change in displaced aggression.…”

Nurses’ experiences of the family’s role in end-of-life care

“…Participants indicated that anger expressed by the family is often projected towards the nurses in the form of finding excessive fault with their work. Smeijers et al ( 2021 :122) express displaced anger as aggression towards ‘underserving others’:…”