Gender differences in the relationship between big five personality traits and aggression among physical education students

This study examines the relationship between Big Five personality traits and aggression in physical education students, with particular attention to gender differences in aggressive behaviors. A cross-sectional study was conducted using a convenience sampling method to recruit physical education undergraduates aged 18-24. an online questionnaire was distributed via WeChat groups, yielding 410 valid responses (94% effective response rate) from students in Henan, China (245 males, 165 females). Participants completed the Big Five Personality Short Form Scale and the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire (BPAQ). Statistical analyses, including Pearson correlation, one-way ANOVA, and hierarchical regression models, were performed to examine the relationship between personality traits and various types of aggression, as well as to explore gender-specific patterns. Gender differences were found in the types of aggression exhibited by male and female students. Male students showed significantly higher levels of physical aggression (mean = 1.82, SD = 0.66) compared to female students (mean = 1.57, SD = 0.53), with a significant difference (t = 4.254, p < 0.001). Conversely, female students scored significantly higher in anger (mean = 2.15, SD = 0.75) than male students (mean = 1.97, SD = 0.74), with a significant difference (t = - 2.423, p < 0.01). In terms of personality traits, neuroticism was positively associated with general aggression, anger, and hostility, supporting previous research that links emotional instability with aggressive behavior. Agreeableness was negatively correlated with physical aggression, and conscientiousness was linked to lower levels of verbal aggression. Notably, individuals with high extraversion and low conscientiousness exhibited the highest tendency for verbal aggression, highlighting the synergistic effects of personality trait combinations. Together, these personality traits explained 12.2% of the variance in aggression, emphasizing the significant role of personality in predicting aggression in physical education contexts. These findings suggest that both personality traits and gender contribute to aggressive behaviors. Specifically, male students with lower agreeableness are more likely to exhibit physical aggression, while female students with higher neuroticism tend to exhibit more anger. The "high extraversion-low conscientiousness" trait combination emerged as a key predictor of verbal aggression, underscoring the importance of addressing personality trait interactions in intervention design.Interventions aimed at improving emotional regulation, agreeableness, and conscientiousness could be particularly effective in reducing aggression. Tailoring strategies to address gender differences in aggression could further enhance the effectiveness of these interventions.