The investigation of relationship between aggression and identity status in university students

The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between university students' aggression and identity status. The working group of this research consists of 526 students, who have been studying at Aksaray University between the ages of 18-25 in the academic year 2019-2020. In the research, "Ego Identity Process Scale" and "Buss-Perry Aggression Scale" were used as data collection tools. SPSS 25 package program was used in the analysis of the research. In addition, for the independent groups in the research t test, correlation analysis, regression analysis, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey test from Post Hoc tests were used to determine the direction of significance relationship. According to the research findings, significant difference was found from aggression dimensions according to the gender variable. A positive meaningful relationship was found only between exploration, one of identity formation processes and verbal aggression, one of sub-dimensions of aggression. In addition, it was found that exploration dimension, one of the identity formation processes, explained verbal aggression. Finally, one-way analysis of variance was conducted to test whether the levels of physical aggression, verbal aggression, hostility and anger, which are sub-dimensions of aggression, differ significantly from identity status like achievement, foreclosure, moratorium and diffusion identity status. As a result of the analysis, it was found that there was a significant difference between verbal aggression and identity status. In order to determine the direction of this significant difference, it was found that there was a significant differentiation between achievement and diffusion identity status, foreclosure and moratorium identity status, moratorium and diffusion identity status considering the verbal aggression dimension according to the Tukey test, one of Post Hoc tests. The findings were discussed within the framework of the literature.