Reactive-Proactive Aggression and Cognitive Flexibility in Adolescents: The Mediating Role of Anger

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the mediator role of anger between high school students' level of reactive and proactive aggression and cognitive flexibility. The study sample is composed of high school students studying in Erzincan in the 2018-2019 academic year and determined via the convenient sampling method. There were 505 participants (F= 227, M= 278) between the ages of 15 and 19. The study data were collected using the Reactive-Proactive Aggressiveness Scale, Trait Anger-Anger Expression Scale, Cognitive Flexibility Scale, and a personal information form developed by the researchers. A correlational survey model was adopted in the study. The data were analyzed using correlation, t-test, and the procedure of bootstrapping to test the mediating effect. It was concluded that there were relations between reactive-proactive aggression, anger, and cognitive flexibility at a statistically significant level. Independent samples t-test analysis showed that boys got higher scores on both reactive and proactive aggression. Lastly, it was found out that anger has a mediating effect on the relationship between cognitive flexibility and reactive and proactive aggression. The study findings are expected to contribute to identifying the factors that cause aggression in adolescents and effective intervention methods regarding these factors. All the findings obtained from the research were discussed within the framework of the relevant literature.

Keywords

• Anger
• Cognitive flexibility
• Proactive aggression
• Reactive aggression

Ergenlerde Reaktif-Proaktif Saldırganlık ve Bilişsel Esneklik: Öfkenin Aracı Rolü

Abstract

Bu araştırmada lise öğrencilerinin reaktif-proaktif saldırganlık ve bilişsel esneklik düzeyleri arasında, öfkenin aracı rolü incelenmiştir. Araştırmanın katılımcıları Erzincan ilinde 2018-2019 yılı içerisinde öğrenim görmekte olan ve uygun örnekleme yöntemine göre belirlenen lise öğrencilerinden oluşmaktadır. Katılımcıların yaş aralığı 15-19 olup, 227’si kız ve 278’i erkek olmak üzere toplam 505 kişidir. Araştırmada Reaktif-Proaktif Saldırganlık Ölçeği, Sürekli Öfke ve Öfke İfade Tarzı Ölçeği, Bilisşel Esneklik Ölçeği ve araştırmacılar tarafından hazırlanan kişisel bilgi formu kullanılmıştır. Araştırma ilişkisel araştırma modeli üzerine kurgulanmıştır ve araştırmadan elde edilen veriler korelasyon analizi, ilişkisiz ölçümler için t-testi ve aracılık testi için ise regresyon temelli bootstrapping yöntemi kullanılarak analiz edilmiştir. Araştırmada reaktif-proaktif sadırganlık, öfke ve bilişsel esneklik arasında anlamlı ilişkiler saptanmıştır. Bağımsız örneklem t testi sonucuna göre cinsiyet açısından her iki saldırganlık düzeyinde erkekler lehine anlamlı farklılık belirlenmiştir. Bilişsel esneklik, sürekli öfke, dışa yönelmiş öfke ve öfke kontrol reaktif saldırganlığı; bilişsel esneklik, sürekli öfke ve dışa yönelmiş öfke proaktif saldırganlığı anlamlı şekilde yordadığı belirlenmiştir. Son olarak ise, bilişsel esneklik ve reaktif ve proaktif saldırganlık arasındaki ilişkide öfkenin aracı etki gösterdiği belirlenmiştir. Araştırmadan elde edilen sonuçların ergenlerde saldırganlığa neden olan etmenler ve bu etmenlere ilişkin etkin müdahale yöntemlerinin belirlenmesi açısından katkı sağlayacağı düşünülmektedir. Araştırmadan elde edilen bütün bulgular ilgili alanyazın çerçevesinde tartışılmıştır.

Keywords

• Bilişsel esneklik
• Öfke
• Proaktif saldırganlık
• Reaktif saldırganlık

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