overt aggression scale (OAS)

Introduction

Documents aggressive behaviors based on observable criteria, recorded by hospital staff or other observers.

The OAS divides aggressive behaviors into 4 categories:

• verbal aggression
• physical aggression against objects
• physical aggression against self
• physical aggression against others

Within each of the above categories, descriptive statements define 4 levels of severity. The OAS records therapeutic interventions used in response to each aggressive episode.

Advantages

• high inter-rater reliability
• useful for assessing aggression in chronically hospitalized patients, including
  • individual patterns of aggression
  • week to week fluctuations
  • response to interventions

More general terms

• behavioral assessment