Measurement Invariance and Psychometric Properties of the Reactive and Proactive Aggression Questionnaire (RPQ) Across Genders

Abstract

Abstract. Aggression is an important risk factor predisposing adolescents to disruptive and criminal behaviors. The present study aimed to assess the psychometric properties and measurement invariance of the Persian version of the Reactive–Proactive Aggression Questionnaire (RPQ) across genders. A sample of 450 students (Mage = 14 years, SD = 0.81) were recruited randomly and completed the Persian version of the RPQ, Child Behavior Checklist, and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. The 2-factor model demonstrated an acceptable fit to the data, supporting the distinction between reactive and proactive aggression among Iranian adolescents. Although the result indicated the equivalence of factor structure of the RPQ across genders, the invariance of the metric model was not confirmed in this study. Suggestions for future research and a more accurate assessment of these two kinds of aggression are further discussed.

Keywords

• reactive aggression
• proactive aggression
• invariance
• adolescents
• gender