Antecedents of trait aggressiveness among sports students

In light of the speed increase of aggressive episodes and disorderly incidents in sporting contexts both on and off the field of play, psychologists’ interest has been focused on normative standards regarding socio-moral interaction such as sportspersonship and fair play, as well as on those intra and interpersonal factors influencing aggressiveness. The current research aimed at pinpointing the extent to which self-determined motivation and trait self-control influence aggressiveness considered as a personality trait. 448 students (M = 240, F = 208; Mage= 23,04, SD = 6,65) enrolled in Italian Faculties of Sport and practicing competitive sports filled out a questionnaire composed by: the socio-anagraphic section, the Sport Motivation Scale (SMS), the Aggressiveness Questionnaire (AQ), and the Brief Self-Control Scale (BSCS). Descriptive and regression analyses were applied to the data. Results showed that aggressiveness was negatively predicted by self-determined motivation and trait self-control. Consequently, practical recommendations should be addressed to coaches, trainers, etc. to plan appropriate intervention strategies for enhancing students’ higher levels of self-control and motivational dispositions.