SavedAdd your journal

Journals / Yalova Üniversitesi Spor Bilimleri Dergisi / 2026 / Cilt: 5 Sayı: 1

Emotions in the Ring: An Investigation of Aggression and Anger Levels Among Combat Sports Athletes

Ringdeki Duygular: Dövüş Sporcularının Saldırganlık ve Öfke Düzeyleri Üzerine Bir Araştırma

Aygün Akgül(MUGLA SITKI KOCMAN UNIVERSITY, FACULTY OF HEALTH SCIENCES)0000-0002-9978-054X
Burcu Nur Mete(MUGLA SITKI KOCMAN UNIVERSITY, FACULTY OF SPORTS SCIENCES)0009-0001-0936-1801
Ali Gürel Göksel(MUGLA SITKI KOCMAN UNIVERSITY, FACULTY OF SPORTS SCIENCES)0000-0002-3873-1322
Pages
561–575
Publication Date
2026-03-19
🏛️Bibliographic metadata and full text access for this article are provided via DergiPark.
DergiPark Record ↗
✨

AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

The findings indicated that the overall mean score of the athletes was close to a moderate level (M = 2.42, SD = 0.75).

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:This study aims to examine the aggression and anger levels of athletes engaged in combat sports in relation to various variables.
📊
Key Findings & Data:The population consisted of amateur and professional combat sport athletes in Muğla, while the sample comprised 462 athletes selected through convenience sampling and participating voluntarily.
💡
Conclusion & Impact:The findings indicated that the overall mean score of the athletes was close to a moderate level (M = 2.42, SD = 0.75).
🔬Design:Survey & Empirical Study
📍Scope:2007 Verileri
⚙️Variables:Dövüş sporları · Saldırganlık · Öfke

Abstract

This study aims to examine the aggression and anger levels of athletes engaged in combat sports in relation to various variables. The research was conducted using a descriptive survey model within the framework of a quantitative research approach. The population consisted of amateur and professional combat sport athletes in Muğla, while the sample comprised 462 athletes selected through convenience sampling and participating voluntarily. Data were collected using a Demographic Information Form prepared by the researchers and the Aggression and Anger Scale, originally developed by Maxwell and Moores (2007) and adapted into Turkish by Gürbüz et al. (2019). The scale consists of two sub-dimensions and a total of 12 items. In the data analysis process, frequency and percentage distributions were first calculated to describe participants’ socio-demographic characteristics. Skewness and kurtosis values were examined to assess normality. Since the data met the assumptions of a normal distribution, parametric tests were applied. The level of statistical significance was set at p < .05 for all analyses. The findings indicated that the overall mean score of the athletes was close to a moderate level (M = 2.42, SD = 0.75). Results revealed that the tendency to experience anger was more prominent than behavioral aggression; however, this emotional tendency did not directly translate into aggressive behavior. Significant differences were found in overall scale scores according to age, sport branch, and national athlete status. Regarding gender, female athletes scored significantly higher than males in the anger sub-dimension, whereas no significant differences were observed based on years of sport experience.

Özet

Bu araştırmanın amacı, dövüş sporlarıyla ilgilenen sporcuların saldırganlık ve öfke düzeylerini çeşitli değişkenler açısından incelemektir. Çalışma, nicel araştırma yaklaşımı çerçevesinde betimsel tarama modeli kullanılarak gerçekleştirilmiştir. Araştırmanın evrenini Muğla ilinde amatör ve profesyonel düzeyde dövüş sporlarıyla uğraşan sporcular oluşturmuş, örneklem ise uygun örnekleme yöntemiyle seçilen ve gönüllü katılım sağlayan toplam 462 sporcudan meydana gelmiştir. Veri toplama aracı olarak araştırmacılar tarafından hazırlanan Demografik Bilgi Formu ile Maxwell ve Moores (2007) tarafından geliştirilen ve Gürbüz vd. (2019) tarafından Türkçeye uyarlanan, iki alt boyut ve 12 maddeden oluşan Saldırganlık ve Öfke Ölçeği kullanılmıştır. Verilerin analizinde öncelikle katılımcıların sosyo-demografik özelliklerine ilişkin frekans ve yüzde dağılımları hesaplanmış, ardından çarpıklık ve basıklık değerleri incelenmiş ve normal dağılım varsayımının sağlanması üzerine parametrik testler uygulanmıştır. Tüm analizlerde anlamlılık düzeyi p < .05 olarak kabul edilmiştir. Bulgular, sporcuların ölçek genel puan ortalamasının orta düzeye yakın olduğunu (X̅ = 2.42, S.S. = 0.75) göstermiştir. Öfke eğiliminin davranışsal saldırganlığa kıyasla daha belirgin olduğu, ancak doğrudan saldırgan davranışa dönüşmediği belirlenmiştir. Yaş, branş ve milli sporculuk değişkenlerine göre anlamlı farklılıklar saptanırken, cinsiyet değişkeninde öfke alt boyutunda kadın sporcular lehine fark bulunmuş, spor yılına göre ise anlamlı bir farklılık tespit edilmemiştir.

🔖

Cite This Article

Akgül, A., Mete, B. N., Göksel, A. G. (2026). Emotions in the Ring: An Investigation of Aggression and Anger Levels Among Combat Sports Athletes. Yalova Üniversitesi Spor Bilimleri Dergisi, Cilt: 5 Sayı: 1, 561–575. https://doi.org/10.70007/yalovaspor.1898501

📄 Full Text PDF Viewer

📄

PDF görüntüleyici hazırlanıyor...

References (34)

  1. Anderson, C. A., & Bushman, B. J. (2002). Human aggression. Annual Review of Psychology, 53, 27–51. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.53.100901.135231
  2. Arnold, R., & Fletcher, D. (2012). A research synthesis and taxonomic classification of the organizational stressors encountered by sport performers. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 34(3), 397–429. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsep.34.3.397
  3. Bailey, R. (2006). Physical education and sport in schools: A review of benefits and outcomes. Journal of School Health, 76(8), 397–401. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1746-1561.2006.00132.x
  4. Balcıoğlu, Y. H., Ildırım, E., ve Balcıoğlu, İ. (2016). Spor bilimleri alanında öfke duygusu ve saldırganlığın farklı açılardan değerlendirilmesi: Bir derleme. İstanbul Üniversitesi Spor Bilimleri Dergisi, 6(1), 1–9. https://izlik.org/JA34LP29CX
  5. Ciaccioni, S., Castro, O., Bahrami, F., Tomporowski, P. D., Capranica, L., Biddle, S. J. H., & Pesce, C. (2024). Martial arts, combat sports, and mental health in adults: A systematic review. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 70, 102556. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2023.102556
  6. Eime, R. M., Young, J. A., Harvey, J. T., Charity, M. J., & Payne, W. R. (2013). A systematic review of the psychological and social benefits of participation in sport for children and adolescents: Informing development of a conceptual model of health through sport. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 10, 98. https://doi.org/10.1186/1479-5868-10-98
  7. George, D., & Mallery, P. (2010). SPSS for Windows step by step: A simple guide and reference. Pearson.
  8. Grange, P., & Kerr, J. H. (2010). Physical aggression in Australian football: A qualitative study of elite athletes. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 11(1), 36-43. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2009.04.006
  9. Gravetter, F. J., & Forzano, L. B. (2012). Research methods for the behavioral sciences. Wadsworth Cengage Learning.
  10. Gürbüz, B., Kural, S., & Özbek, O. (2019). Sporda saldırganlık ve öfke ölçeği: Geçerlik ve güvenirlik çalışması. Sportif Bakış: Spor ve Eğitim Bilimleri Dergisi, 6(2), 206–217.
  11. Isberg, L. (2000). Anger, aggressive behavior, and athletic performance. In Y. Hanin (ed.) 563 (Ed.), Emotions in sport (pp. 113-133). Human Kinetics.
  12. Karasar, N. (2016). Bilimsel araştırma yöntemi: Kavramlar, ilkeler, teknikler. Nobel Yayıncılık.
  13. Karlı, Ü., Yıldız, N. O., ve Üzüm, H. (2023). The investigation of aggression levels of the combat sport athletes. Journal of Sport Sciences Research, 8(3), 792–803. https://doi.org/10.25307/jssr.1361030
  14. Kerr, J. H. (2005). Rethinking aggression and violence in sport. Routledge.
  15. Kostorz, K., & Sas-Nowosielski, K. (2021). Aggression dimensions among athletes practising martial arts and combat sports. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 696943. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.696943
  16. Kuśnierz, C., Litwiniuk, A., & Cynarski, W. J. (2023). Aggression in martial arts and combat sports practitioners: A comparative analysis. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(3), 2215. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20032215
  17. Kuśnierz, C., Niewczas, M., Cynarski, W. J., Bielec, G., & Rogowska, A. M. (2025). Latent class analysis of aggression in martial arts and combat sports: A cross-sectional study. PLOS ONE, 20(7), e0328799. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0328799
  18. Lafuente, J. C., Zubiaur, M., & Gutiérrez-García, C. (2021). Effects of martial arts and combat sports training on anger and aggression: A systematic review. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 59, 101480. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avb.2021.101480
  19. Lubans, D., Richards, J., Hillman, C., Faulkner, G., Beauchamp, M., Nilsson, M., Kelly, P., Smith, J., Raine, L., & Biddle, S. (2016). Physical activity for cognitive and mental health in youth: A systematic review of mechanisms. Pediatrics, 138(3), e20161642. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2016-1642
  20. Maxwell, J. P., & Moores, E. (2007). The development of a short scale measuring aggressiveness and anger in competitive athletes. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 8(2), 179–193. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2006.03.002
  21. Mojtahedi, D., Bonato, M., Rinaldi, A., & Rampinini, E. (2023). Competition-induced stress and psychological responses in combat sport athletes: A systematic review. Journal of Sports Sciences, 41(3), 247–261. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2022.2136238
  22. Pearce, M., Garcia, L., Abbas, A., Strain, T., Schuch, F. B., Golubic, R., Kelly, P., Khan, S., Utukuri, M., Laird, Y., Mok, A., Smith, A. D., Tainio, M., Brage, S., & Woodcock, J. (2022). Association between physical activity and risk of depression: A systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Psychiatry, 79(6), 550-559. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2022.0609
  23. Petrovska, T., Potop, V., Sova, V., Perepelytsia, A., Bulhakova, T., Folvarochnyi, I., & Konyayeva, L. (2021). Manifestations of aggression in elite athletes. Journal of Physical Education and Sport, 21(2), 797–802. https://doi.org/10.7752/jpes.2021.02099
  24. Predoiu, R., Sandu, I., & Mitrache, G. (2024). Explicit and indirect, latency-based measure of aggression in striking combat sports. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1451244. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1451244
  25. Rice, S. M., Purcell, R., De Silva, S., Mawren, D., McGorry, P. D., & Parker, A. G. (2016). The mental health of elite athletes: A narrative systematic review. Sports Medicine, 46(9), 1333–1353. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-016-0492-2
  26. Schuch, F. B., Vancampfort, D., Firth, J., Rosenbaum, S., Ward, P. B., Silva, E. S., Hallgren, M., Ponce De Leon, A., Dunn, A. L., Deslandes, A. C., Fleck, M. P., Carvalho, A. F., & Stubbs, B. (2018). Physical activity and incident depression: A meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. American Journal of Psychiatry, 175(7), 631–648. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2018.17111194
  27. Tabachnick, B. G., & Fidell, L. S. (2013). Using multivariate statistics. Pearson.
  28. Tenenbaum, G., Stewart, E., Singer, R. N., & Duda, J. (1997). Aggression and violence in sport: An ISSP position stand. The Sport Psychologist, 11(1), 1–7. https://research.birmingham.ac.uk/en/publications/b7f4fdc6-492d-4de2-8a29-28e1c9a842d6
  29. van der Sluys, M. E., Zijlmans, J., Ket, J. C. F., Marhe, R., Popma, A., Scherder, E. J., & van der Laan, P. H. (2024). The efficacy of physical activity interventions in reducing antisocial behavior: A meta-analytic review. Journal of Experimental Criminology, 20, 347–373. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11292-022-09536-8
  30. Vertonghen, J., & Theeboom, M. (2010). The social-psychological outcomes of martial arts practise among youth: A review. Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, 9, 528–537.
  31. White, R. L., Vella, S., Biddle, S., Sutcliffe, J., Guagliano, J. M., Uddin, R.,. & Teychenne, M. (2024). Physical activity and mental health: A systematic review and best-evidence synthesis of mediation and moderation studies. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 21(1), 134. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-024-01676-6
  32. Yang, Y., Li, L., Du, Q., & Zhang, J. (2023). Effects of sports intervention on aggression in children and adolescents: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PeerJ, 11, e15504. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15504
  33. Zhu, Y., Li, J., Zhang, M., Li, C., Lau, E. Y. H., & Tao, S. (2022). Physical activity participation and physical aggression in children and adolescents: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 63, 102288. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2022.102288
  34. White, R. L., Vella, S., Biddle, S., Sutcliffe, J., Guagliano, J. M., Uddin, R.,. & Teychenne, M. (2024). Physical activity and mental health: A systematic review and best-evidence synthesis of mediation and moderation studies. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 21(1), 134. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-024-01676-6