Open Access

The mediating role of communication skills in the effect of athletes’ personality traits on aggressiveness and anger levels

1 Kafkas Univeristy, Sarıkamış Faculty of Sport Sciences, Kars, Türkiye ROR
2 Ataturk University Winter Sports and Sports Sciences Institute, Erzurum, Türkiye ROR
3 Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Çanakkale, Türkiye ROR
4 Kafkas Univeristy, Sarıkamış Faculty of Sport Sciences, Kars, Türkiye ROR
5 Ataturk University Winter Sports and Sports Sciences Institute, Erzurum, Türkiye ROR

Abstract

This study aims to examine the effects of athletes’ personality traits on their Aggressiveness and anger levels and to determine the mediating role of communication skills in this interaction. This study provides an opportunity to understand the effects of athletes’ personality traits on Aggressiveness and anger and the importance of communication. This study was conducted with 540 licensed athletes who are over the age of 18, live in 14 cities of the Eastern Anatolia region of Türkiye (Kars, Erzurum, Ardahan, Ağrı, Muş, Bingöl, Bitlis, Erzincan, Tunceli, Van, Malatya, Elazığ, Hakkari, and Iğdır), and participate in regular sports activities. “Five Factor Personality Scale,” “Communication Skills Assessment Scale,” and “Sports Aggressiveness and Anger Scale” were used as data collection tools in the research. The results of the confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the fit index values of the scales were at an acceptable level (χ²/df = 2.34, RMSEA = 0.067, CFI = 0.94, SRMR = 0.056). According to the internal consistency coefficients (Cronbach’s alpha) of the scales, the reliability levels of the Five Factor Personality Scale (α = 0.89), the Communication Skills Assessment Scale (α = 0.87), and the Sports Aggressiveness and Anger Scale (α = 0.91) were high. Convergent and discriminant validity analyses confirmed the scales’ reliability and that the concepts measured were distinct from each other. Relationships between scale scores were examined using the Pearson correlation coefficient, and the results showed that normal distribution assumptions were met (all p < 0.05). In conclusion, the findings revealed that athletes’ personality traits significantly influence their levels of aggressiveness and anger. In particular, communication skills were found to partially mediate this relationship, with athletes who have higher communication skills exhibiting lower levels of aggressiveness and anger. This mediating effect underscores the protective and regulatory role of communication skills in athletes’ emotional and behavioural responses within competitive sport environments.

Keywords

How to Cite

Havadar, T., Senger, K., Ozen, G., Ozlu, M., & Cınan, I. (2026). The mediating role of communication skills in the effect of athletes’ personality traits on aggressiveness and anger levels. International Journal of Eurasia Social Sciences, 17(64), 644–656. https://doi.org/10.70736/ijoess.2164

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