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ANGER MONKEY
HOSTILITY TEST
This hostility test is designed to reveal where you stand on these three dimensions of hostility that research has shown to predict higher death rates.
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After each description you are presented with two responses, A or B. The split second reaction you have to A or B is your genuine "real" answer, thinking through it will get you a good score but how real is it? No wrong answers, No Cheating
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1. A teenager drives by my yard with the car stereo blaring gangsta rap.
A. I begin to understand why teenagers can't hear.
B. I can feel my blood pressure starting to rise.
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2. The person who trims my hair hacked off more than I wanted.
A. I tell him or her they are a "hack at cutting hair.
B. I figure it'll grow back, and I resolve to give my instructions more forcefully next time.
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3. I am in the express checkout line at the supermarket, where a sign reads: "No more than 10 items, please!"
A. I pick up a magazine to pass the time.
B. In my head I count all the baskets to see if anyone has more than ten items.
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4. Many large cities have a visible number of homeless people.
A. I believe that the homeless are down and out because they gave up.
B. The homeless are victims of illness or some other misfortune.
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5. There have been times when I was very angry with someone.
A. I was always able to stop short of hitting them.
B. I have, on occasion, hit or shoved them.
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6. The newspaper contains a prominent news story about drug- related crime.
A. I wish the government had better educational/drug programs, even for pushers.
B. I wish we could put every drug pusher in the chair.
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7. The prevalence of AIDS has reached epidemic proportions.
A. Deserved it because of irresponsible behavior on the part of a small proportion of the population.
B. AIDS is a major tragedy.
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8. I sometimes argue with a friend or relative.
A. I find the F bomb an effective tool.
B. I hardly ever use profanity.
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9. I am stuck in a traffic jam.
A. I usually am not particularly upset.
B. I quickly start to feel irritated and annoyed.
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10. There is a really important job to be done.
A. I can do it the best.
B. I am apt to call on my friends or co-workers to help.
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11. Sometimes I keep my angry feelings to myself.
A. Doing so can often prevent me from making getting "spooled up".
B. Doing so is usually a bad idea.
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12. Another driver butts ahead of me in traffic.
A. I usually flash "the bird" or honk my horn.
B. I stay farther back behind such a driver.
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13. Someone treats me unfairly.
A. I usually forget it rather quickly.
B. I am "vexed" thinking about it for hours.
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14. The cars ahead of me on an unfamiliar road start to slow and stop as they approach a curve.
A. I assume that there is a construction site ahead.
B. I assume someone ahead can't drive.
I5. Someone expresses an ignorant belief.
A. I try to correct him or her.
B. I am likely to let it pass.
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16. I am caught in a slow-moving bank or supermarket line.
A. I usually start to fume at how stupid these people are.
B. I seldom notice the wait.
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17. Someone is being rude or annoying.
A. I am apt to avoid him or her in the future.
B. I look at him or hers face figuring out where to hit it.
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18. An election year rolls around.
A. I learn anew that politicians are crooks not to be trusted.
B. I am caught up in the excitement of pulling for my candidate.
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19. An elevator stops too long on a floor above where I am waiting.
A. I soon start to feel irritated and annoyed.
B. I start planning the rest of my day.
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20. I am around someone I don't like.
A. I try to end the encounter as soon as possible.
B. I find it hard not to be rude to him or her.
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21. I see a very overweight person walking down the street.
A. I wonder why this person doesn't get a job.
B. I think that he or she might have a metabolic defect or a psychological problem.
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22. I am riding as a passenger in the front seat of a car.
A. I take the opportunity to enjoy the scenery.
B. I try to stay alert for the air bag.
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23. Someone criticizes something I have done.
A. I feel annoyed.
B. I try to decide whether the criticism is justified.
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24. I am involved in an argument.
A. I concentrate hard so that I can get my point across.
B. I can feel my heart pounding, and my head starting to explode.
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25. A friend or co-worker disagrees with me.
A. I try to explain my position more clearly.
B. I am apt to get into an shouting match with him or her.
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26. Someone is speaking very slowly during a conversation.
A. I am apt to finish his or her thoughts and sentences.
B. I am apt to listen until he or she finishes.
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27. If they were put on the honor system, most people wouldn't sneak into a movie theatre without paying.
A. That's because they are afraid of being caught.
B. It's because it would be wrong.
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28. I have strong beliefs about rearing children.
A. I try to reward mine when they behave well.
B. I make sure that they know what the rules are.
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29. I hear news of another terrorist attack.
A. I feel like lashing out.
B. I wonder how people can be so cruel.
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30. I am talking with my spouse, boyfriend, or girlfriend.
A. I often find my thoughts racing ahead to what I plan to say next.
B. I find it easy to pay close attention to what he or she is saying.
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31. There have been times in the past when I was really angry.
A. I have never thrown things or slammed a door.
B. At times I have thrown something or slammed a door.
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32. Life is full of little annoyances.
A. They often seem to get under my skin.
B. They seem to roll off my back unnoticed.
33. I disapprove of something a friend has done.
A. I usually keep such disapproval to myself.
B. I usually let him or her know about it.
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34. I am requesting a seat assignment for an airline flight.
A. I usually request a seat in a specific area of the plane.
B. I generally leave the choice to the agent.
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35. I feel a certain way nearly every day of the week.
A. I feel grouchy some of the time.
B. I usually stay on an even keel.
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36. Someone bumps into me in a store.
A. I pass it off as an accident.
B. I feel irritated at the person's clumsiness.
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37. My spouse, boyfriend, or girlfriend is preparing a meal.
A. I keep an eye out to make sure nothing burns or cooks too long.
B. I either talk about my day or read the paper.
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38. A boyfriend or girlfriend calls at the last minute to say that he or she is "too tired to go out tonight," and I am stuck with a pair of fifteen-dollar tickets.
A. I try to find someone else to go with.
B. I tell my friend how inconsiderate he or she is.
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39. I recall something that angered me previously.
A. I feel angry all over again.
B. The memory doesn't bother me nearly as much as the actual event did.
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40. I see people walking-around in shopping malls.
A. Many of them are either shopping or exercising.
B. Many are wasting time.
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41. Someone is hogging the conversation at a party.
A. I look for an opportunity to push him or her down.
B. I soon move to another group.
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42. At times, I have to work with incompetent people. .
A. I concentrate on my part of the job.
B. Having to put up with them pisses me off.
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43. My spouse, boyfriend, or girlfriend is going to get me a birthday present.
A. I let her know what I want.
B. I prefer to be surprised.
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44. I hold a poor opinion of someone.
A. I keep it to myself.
B. I tell him or her all about it.
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45. In most arguments I have, the roles are consistent.
A. I am the angrier one.
B. The other person is angrier than I am.
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46. Slow-moving lines can often be found in banks and supermarkets.
A. They are an unavoidable part of modern life.
B. They are often due to someone's incompetence.
CYNICISM + ANGER + AGGRESSION = TOTAL HOSTILITY
Cynicism: a mistrusting attitude regarding the motives of people in general, leading one to be constantly on guard against the "misbehavior" of others.
Anger: the emotion so often engendered by the cynical person's expectation of unacceptable behavior on the part of others.
Aggression: the behavior to which many hostile people are driven by the unpleasant negative emotions of anger, irritation, and the like.
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SCORING KEY:
To score your Cynicism level, turn back to the test and look at the following items and responses:
3(B), 4(A), 7(A), 10(A), 14(B), 18(A), 21(A), 22(B), 27(A), 30(A), 34(A), 37(A), 40(B), 43(A), and 46(B).
Give yourself one point every time your answer agrees with the letter in parentheses after each item number. Thus, if your answers matched the letters in parentheses for eight out of the fifteen Cynicism questions, your Cynicism score would be 8.
These fifteen questions tested the degree to which you believe that people in general are selfish and out mainly for themselves
If your score is 0 to 3, your Cynicism level is very low.
If your score is 4 to 6, your Cynicism level is probably high enough to be of some concern.
If your score is 7 or more, your Cynicism level is very high.
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To score your Anger level, give yourself one point for each answer that agrees with the letter in parentheses after these items:
1(B), 6(B), 9(B), 13(B), 16(A), 19(A), 23(A), 24(B), 29(A), 32(A), 35(A), 36(B), 39(A), 42(B), and 45(A).
Enter the total on the line marked "Anger" in the scoring key.
As you probably noticed, these items asked whether you most likely responded with anger, irritation, or annoyance when faced with life's frustrations, such as being stuck in a traffic jam (item 9).
If your score is 0 to 3, your Anger level is very low.
If your score is 4 to 6, your Anger level is probably high enough to deserve your attention.
If your score is 7 or higher, your Anger level is very high.
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To score your Aggression level, give yourself one point for each answer that agrees with the letter in parentheses after these items: 2(A), 5(B), 8(A), 11(B), 12(A), 15(A), 17(B), 20(B), 25(B), 26(A), 28(B), 31(B), 33(B), 38(B), 41(A), and 44(B). Write the total on the "Aggression" line of the scoring key.
These items gauge your tendency to express your anger or irritation overtly toward other people, whether physically (e.g., item 5—when angry with someone, "I have, on occasion, hit or shoved them") or verbally (e.g., item 33—when disapproving of something a friend has done, "I usually let him or her know about it").
If your score is 0 to 3, your Aggression level is very low.
If your score is 4 to 6, your Aggression level is borderline, and you may want to consider ways to reduce it.
If your score is 7 or more, you probably need to take serious steps to reduce your Aggression level.
Your Total Hostility score is simply the sum of the three aspects of hostility you have just scored. Add your Cynicism, Anger, and Aggression scores and enter the total on the "Total Hostility" line of the scoring key.
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If your Total Hostility score is 10 or less, the research suggests that your hostility level is below the range where it is likely to place you at risk of developing health problems. Any score higher than 10 may place you in the group whose hostility level is high enough to increase your risk of health problems.
Your scores on the Cynicism, Anger, and Aggression dimensions of hostility will provide some clues regarding those aspects of your hostility that need changing. For example, if your Cynicism score is 9 but your Anger and Aggression scores are both only 4, this might suggest that you need to focus most on your attitudes toward others.
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Edited Exerpt from "Anger Kills" by: Redford Williams, M.D., Virginia Williams, ph.d., Harper perennial, New York, 1994
