Experience and expression of anger and aggression in dating relationships for male college athletes in contact and non-contact sports

Abstract

Scope and Method of Study: The purpose of this study was to examine the differences in the experiences and expressions of anger in dating relationships among male college athletes involved in contact and non-contact sports. The data was derived from athletes' scores on the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory-2 (STAXI-2) and the Conflict Tactics Scale-2 (CTS-2). The sample consisted of 77 male college athletes at a large Midwestern university. A series of multivariate analyses and univariate analyses were conducted. In the first MANOVA, state and trait anger were the dependent variables. In the second MANOVA, anger expression-out and anger expression-in were the dependent variables. In the third MANOVA, anger control-out and anger control-in were the dependent variables. In the ANOVA, sport type group differences in overall anger expression were explored. A series of five ANOVA procedures were conducted to explore sport type group differences in athlete's levels of negotiation, psychological aggression, physical assault, sexual coercion, and injury directed toward their dating partners.

Findings and Conclusions: Analyses of the data found that higher levels of trait anger were reported by college athletes involved in contact sports versus college athletes involved in non-contact sports. Further, the athletes involved in contact sports significantly differed from athletes involved in non-contact sports in their use of psychological aggression and injurious behaviors toward their partners. Contact sport athletes also significantly differed in their perceptions of their dating partners' use of negotiation. Results of the study indicated that athletes in contact and non-contact sports significantly differed in their experiences of trait anger, as well as the use of tactics to resolve conflict in their dating relationships. They also reported differences in how they perceived their dating partners' use of conflict tactics towards them.