title: Correlation of aggressiveness and anxiety in fighting sports.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  in fighting sports there are many opened issues related with levels of aggression and anxiety.
  
  
  METHODS
  Our study is performed with healthy young athletes: kick boxers, karate fighters, and boxers. Examined group consisted of 55 members (45 male) with average age of 20.2 +/- 3.8 years. In analysis of level of aggression Questionnaire A-87 is used. Its purpose is assessment of aggressive behaviour in provoked situations, or measurement of impulsive aggression. Questionnaire A-87 consists of 15 items of different situations with five possible responses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The possible responses or reactions are the five most frequent forms of aggressive responses: a) verbal manifest aggression (VM); b) physical manifest aggression (PHM); c) indirect aggression (IND); d) verbal latent aggression (VL), and e) physical latent aggression (PHL). In the analysis of anxiety is used Beck Anxiety Inventory, BAI. Average training period was 7.8 +/- 3.6 years. Even 37 athletes during sporting carriers were injured, and most of examiners (precisely 13) experienced 3 injuries. Average value of BAI was 12.7 +/- 8.7. Average value of total aggression was 152.2 +/- 40.9; highest levels were observed in VM (33.9) and VL (30.1). Significant positive correlations of all components of aggression with level of anxiety is observed (p < 0.05), most prominent IND (r = 0.4263; p = 0.0012), and VL (r = 0.4163; p = 0.0016), and also total aggression (r = 0.4822; p = 0.0002). Slightly significant positive correlation of total aggression with age of examiners is also observed (r = 0.2668, p = 0.0489). Positive correlation VM (r = 0.4928; p = 0.0001), PHL (r = 0.2761; p = 0.0413), and total aggression (r = 0.347; p = 0.0094) is observed with number of injuries of examined athletes. Also, positive correlation (r = 0.2927, p = 0.0301) is observed with level of anxiety and number of injuries. Higher level of aggression and anxiety might change attitude of some sports authorities (especially coaches), and additional psychological training of fight sports might be necessary.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Assessment of basically levels of aggression and anxiety of athletes might be valuable not only in sport activities, but in overall aspects of life.
authors.affiliation: Neurology Clinic, Clinical Centre University of Sarajevo, Sarajevo 71000, Bosnia and Herzegovina. merita.tiric@gmail.com
authors.forename: Merita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tiric-Campara
authors.forename: Emir
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tupkovic
authors.forename: Edin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mazalovic
authors.forename: Emir
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Karalic
authors.forename: Mirza
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Biscevic
authors.forename: Jasminka
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Djelilovic-Vranic
authors.forename: Azra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alajbegovic
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000374:Aggression; D001007:Anxiety; D001914:Boxing / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016139:Martial Arts / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult