A critique of the development of the Competitive Aggressiveness and Anger Scale

Abstract

Objectives In order to really understand aggression in sports, it is important that psychological research on the topic remains well founded, valid and grounded in reality. The Competitive Aggressiveness and Anger Scale (CAAS) [Maxwell, J. P., & Moores, E. (2007). The development of a short scale for measuring aggressiveness and anger in competitive athletes. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 8, 179–193], which purports to measure aggressiveness and anger in competitive athletes, has recently been developed. The present critique highlights a number of shortcomings in the rationale behind the scale and its development. Design This critique will focus on three major problem areas. These are: (1) the definition of aggression in sports adopted by the scale's developers; (2) the “one size fits all” element in the thinking behind the scale's development; (3) the nature of the CAAS Anger and Aggressiveness items. Results The approach taken in the development of CAAS means that the scale, as it is currently formulated, can offer only an incomplete understanding and measurement of anger and aggressiveness in sports. Among other things, the measure ignores a whole range of frequently occurring legal, sanctioned aggressive and violent behaviour in sports. In addition, it ignores sources of motivation beyond anger which underpin other types of aggressive and violent behaviour in sports.