Aggressive Fantasies Scale

Do you ever find yourself daydreaming about dangerous scenarios? Take this test to find out if you're struggling with 'aggressive fantasies.'

By Mark Travers, Ph.D. | August 27, 2024

Aggressive fantasies are like "storm clouds" in the mind—ones that brew conscious scenarios of conflict, domination or aggression. For instance, thoughts of winning an argument or overpowering an opponent. These thoughts, although common, can influence behavior if not understood or managed—or if acted upon.

It's crucial to recognize that merely having these thoughts doesn't make someone violent; rather, how they handle them is what's most important. However, if not accepted healthily or managed appropriately, they may lead to feelings of guilt, low self-esteem or worse.

The Aggressive Fantasies Scale was created to help individuals and researchers assess the frequency and intensity of these thoughts by means of 7 simple items. By understanding their fantasies through this scale, people can take proactive steps to manage their emotions and prevent them from influencing behavior.

You can take this test here. Follow all of the steps to receive your results.

Step 1: On a scale from never to always, rate the following questions based on how frequently you exhibit the described behaviors.

1. When you get mad, do you sometimes imagine hitting or hurting the other person?

2. Do you sometimes imagine or daydream about what would happen if you did something really bad, or got arrested for something, even when this did not really happen?

3. Do you sometimes imagine or have daydreams about hitting or hurting somebody that you don't like?

4. Do you sometimes have daydreams or nightmares about running away from someone who is trying to catch you and hurt you, or do something bad to you?

5. Do you sometimes imagine or daydream about using powerful weapons to destroy your enemies?

6. Do you sometimes daydream or imagine rape scenes, or forcing someone to have sex?

7. Do you ever daydream about people getting killed?

Step 2: Enter your age, gender, region, and first name so we can provide you with a detailed report that compares your test scores to people similar to you.

What is your age?

What is your gender?

What region of the world do you live in?

What is your first name?

Step 3: Check to make sure you've provided answers to all of the statements/questions above. Once you've done that, click the button below to send your responses to Awake Therapy's Lead Psychologist, Mark Travers, Ph.D. He will provide you with an overview of how you scored relative to others (all answers are anonymized and confidential to protect users' privacy). He can also answer any follow-up questions you may have.

References: Dahlberg, L. L., Toal, S. B., Swahn, M. H., & Behrens, C. B. (2005). Measuring violence-related attitudes, behaviors, and influences among youths: A compendium of assessment tools. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.