Attractiveness and aggressiveness: implementing social network analysis in physical education classes

• Published in: Journal of Physical Education and Sport 2022-04, Vol.22 (4), p.988-1001
• Main Authors: Litsa, Maria, Bekiari, Alexandra
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aggression; Aggressiveness; Educational Policy; Gender; Physical education; Power; Questionnaires; Secondary education; Social network analysis; Social networks; Students
• ISSN: 2247-8051; 2247-806X
• DOI: 10.7752/jpes.2022.04126

The objective of this study was to detect combinations of interpersonal attractiveness, social power and verbal aggressiveness during physical education and to point out their determinants. A sample of five students' networks (secondary education) was collected (117 nodes, 64 = boys 53 = girls) using standardized questionnaires. The questionnaires consisted of the network part (relationships of attractiveness, aggressiveness, power developed among students: each student replied about the particular relationship developed with each and every student in their network) and the non-network part (non-network determinants such as age, weight, gender, place of birth, living, family financial status etc.). Social Network Analysis, Spearman test and PCA were implemented. Results: All forms of interpersonal attractiveness are interrelated and correlated to social power. Verbal aggressiveness is negatively related to attractiveness and power. Scientific/task attractiveness may protect from becoming a target of verbal aggressiveness. Good general grade at school and aiming at distinction are the main determinants of emerging attractiveness and power and deterrents of verbal aggressiveness. Females seem scientifically attractive and chosen as mentors more often than males. The types of targets and actors of attractiveness, power, argumentativeness and verbal aggressiveness are proposed. The targets are: "the interpersonally attractive mentor" who is physically, socially and task/scientifically attractive, argumentative and protected from verbal aggressiveness and "the physically attractive target" who is only physically attractive and is verbally targeted. The types of actors are: "the socialized troublemaker" who may be verbally aggressive at times but tends to be attracted and mentored by others and "the lonely coercer" who is marginalized, using verbal aggressiveness and tends not to be mentored and attracted by others.