The effects of psychological orphanhood on aggression and psychological resilience in student athletes

The main objective of this study is to examine the effect of psychological orphanhood on aggression and psychological resilience in student athletes. The study population consists of individuals over 18 years of age studying at university level in Turkey and actively participating in sports, while the sample consists of 540 student athletes (226 female, 314 male) selected using disproportionately stratified sampling from the Faculty of Sports Sciences at Bayburt University, Trabzon University, and İnönü University. The Demographic Information Form, the Psychological Orphanhood Scale in Athletes, the Kar-YA Aggression Scale, and the Short Psychological Resilience Scale were used as data collection tools. Data were analyzed using SPSS 27.0 software, and T-tests, ANOVA, Pearson Correlation, and Multiple Linear Regression analyses were applied. The results showed significant differences between frequency of sports participation and mother's presence in the family and psychological orphanhood, and significant relationships between age and sports age and psychological orphanhood. Significant differences were found between aggression and the variables of gender, father's presence, and having a broken family structure, while a significant relationship was found between age and aggression. Significant differences were found between psychological resilience and gender, frequency of sports participation, and university education, while a significant relationship was found between age and psychological resilience. Correlation analyses revealed a significant negative correlation between psychological deficiency and aggression, and a significant positive correlation between psychological deficiency and psychological resilience. Regression analysis results showed that belonging and competence sub-dimensions of psychological deficiency negatively predicted aggression, while motivation positively predicted aggression, relatedness negatively predicted psychological resilience, while motivation and competence positively predicted psychological resilience. In conclusion, it was shown that the level of psychological deficiency significantly predicts aggression and psychological resilience in student athletes.