Your Anger Index:
How Angry and Hostile Are You?

The statements below describe situations that you may have experienced in your day-to-day living. If you haven't experienced it, try to imagine how you might react in the situation. Use the scoring scale to identify the response you are most likely to have in that scenario and write your score for each statement on a piece of paper. Take whatever time you need to decide, but keep in mind that your first reaction will generally most accurately represent how you would really respond.

SCORING FOR QUESTIONS 1 TO 29:
3 for "often," 2 for "some of the time," 1 for "rarely," 0 for "never"

1. I think that people who make mistakes should be reprimanded and clearly told they did something wrong.
2. I think that most people are just out for themselves and you'd better not get in their way.
   
3. When someone disagrees with me, I work hard to make sure they know that they're wrong.
4. I feel impatient when I have to wait in a line.
5. When I think about something that bothered me in the past, I can get very angry about it all over again.
6. If someone cancels on me at the last minute, I tend to think about how rude he or she is.
7. When I hear about rapes or murders in the news, I would like to get back at the person who did the crime.
8. When another driver tailgates me or cuts in front of me, I tend to react and honk my horn or flash my lights.
9. When I am around people I don't like, they'll get that message one way or another from me.
10. When I see someone who is overweight, I start to think about how little self-discipline he or she has.
11. When I get really angry I throw, hit, or break things.
12. I can't stand it if things don't go the way I want them to go.
13. I get really upset with myself when I make a mistake or don't do something well.
14. I believe that, if children misbehave, it's okay for their parents to scare them into behaving properly.
15. My anger has gotten me into trouble at work.
16. When someone treats me poorly, I start to think about ways to get even with them.
17. If I'm really mad at other people, I'm likely to put them down and swear at them.
18. I generally believe that people would be dishonest if they could actually get away with it.
19. My anger overwhelms me at times and I seem to lose control.
20. I have high expectations for myself and others.
21. If someone hurts or offends me, I end up thinking about it a lot and have a hard time letting it go.
22. When I get angry, I've experienced chest pain, headaches, or other physical symptoms.
23. When I'm angry, other people seem to shy away from me or be afraid of me.
24. I have been so mad that I grabbed or pushed another person.
25. I want to jump in and interrupt other people rather than listen when I have something important to say.
26. Other people express concerns to me about what happens when I get angry or how often I get mad.
27. I don't like how I act when I get angry and I end up feeling bad about what I said or did.
28. I think I have a "thin skin" and am easily affected by what others say and do.
29. My anger has gotten me into trouble with the law.
    
    SCORING FOR QUESTIONS 30 TO 36:
    0 for "often," 1 for "some of the time," 2 for "rarely," 3 for "never"



30. If I'm doing a project around home or at work and I start to get frustrated, I lay it aside for awhile and come back to it when I'm calmed down and can think more clearly about how to handle it.
31. When people I know are having difficult times in their lives, I try to understand what's going on for them and help them out if I can.
32. I think that most people are basically trustworthy.
33. When someone criticizes me, I listen to what they say and then try to assess whether it really makes sense for me.
34. I try to focus on the good things that I have going in my life.
35. I work hard to think about and understand why I react the way I do when I get angry.
36. I think people can be forgiven for what they do even if it hurts others.
    

MY TOTAL SCORE: _______
Add up the scores that you have written down.

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© 1987 David J. Decker, MA, LP
Phone: 612-725-8402 or 651-646-4325 - www.ANGEResources.com