&.,.so,,. ;ndxxf O ff. Vol. 5. No. 2. pp. 221-231. 1984 Printe d in G re a t zyxwvutsrqponmlkjihgfedcbaZYXWVUTSRQPONMLKJIHGFEDCBA Britain. All rig hts re se we d zyxwvutsrqponmlkjihgfedcbaZYXWVUTSRQPONMLKJIHGFEDCBA 019L8869/8453.00 + 0.00 Copyright Q 1984 Pergamon Press Ltd THE HOSTILITY AND DIRECTION OF HOSTILITY QUESTIONNAIRE (HDHQ): A PSYCHOMETRIC EVALUATION IN PSYCHIATRIC OUTPATIENTS W ILLEM A. ARRINDELL,* ANTONJ. P. M. HAFKENSCHEID and PAUL M. G. EMMELKAMP De p a rtm e nt of C linic a l Psychology, Academic Hospital of the State University of Groningen, Oostersingel 59. 9713 EZ Groningen, The Netherlands zyxwvutsrqponmlkjihgfedcbaZYXWVUT (Received 31 May 1983) Summary-The HDHQ continues to be used by researchers who seek to assess punitiveness and its elements in association with various mental states. Although it is now over a decade since this instrument emerged and although it is extensively used, chiefly in the U.K., subsequent evaluations of its factorial validity and internal consistency reliability have been notably absent from the literature. An examination of data from a heterogeneous Dutch sample of psychiatric outpatients (N = 295) led to 4 main conclusions: (1) the dimensions of AH, CO and PH are fairly well distinguishable from each other; by contrast, the SC and DG scales are clearly not; (2) there is poor evidence in the present S sample of unidimensionality of the test, indicating that the general use of a Total Hostility score is highly questionable; although EXTRA and INTRO are related, they should be treated as distinct concepts; (3) all subscales have adequate internal consistency to be useful for research purposes; (4) correlations with extraneous measures and scale-level factor analysis of these show the (sub)scales to evidence clear (divergent and convergent) construct validity. In addition, findings are reported which lend some support for discriminant validity of the DH scale. Replication of the presented findings with distmct samples and differing methods is urgently needed. INTRODUCTION The manner in which hostility is recognized, managed and ultimately re-channelled into adaptive behaviour can often be an influential determinant of the success of an individual’s adjustment and may be a decisive influence on the ultimate prognosis in psychotherapy as well (Curtis, 1982a). Since the ineffectual management of hostility and other vitriolic-like feelings may lead to increased ‘stress’, decompensation and eventual symptom formation (Curtis, 1982b), a number of psycho- therapeutic and assessment techniques have been introduced to help diffuse and trace the symptomatic effects of unidentified and unexpressed anger. As regards the assessment techniques, it has long been customary for psychologists to strive after ‘unidimensional’ measures (Caine, Foulds and Hope, 1967). However, since meaningful distinctions can be made between subclasses of hostility, an overall evaluation of hostility would seem to contain considerable ambiguity. It would seem advisable thus for the therapist to diagnose systematically the sped@ and verifiable styles with which the patient handles hostile emotions. Indeed, Buss and Durkee (1957) have acknowledged that when researchers do not attempt to group items into subscales representing various aspects of hostility, “. . . a nonsuspicious, assaultive individual might receive the same score as a nonassaultive, suspicious individual” (p. 343), thereby implying that a score on any unidimensional measure would appear to be as ambiguous as the statement “He is hostile”. The Hostility and Direction of Hostility Questionnaire (HDHQ; Caine et al., 1967) was designed to sample a wide, though not exhaustive, range of possible manifestations of aggression, hostility or punitiveness. It consists of 51 items culled from the MMPI and comprises 5 subscales, namely, AH (Urge to Act Out Hostility), CO (Criticism of Others), PH (Projected Delusional or Paranoid Hostility), SC (Self-Criticism) and DG (Delusional Guilt). Following the concepts of Rosenzweig *To whom all reprint requests should be addressed. 221